A Not So Enchanting Encounter
by perplexed-by-potter
Summary: When Draco Malfoy shows up at Hermione's workplace, she is shocked to find out that he needs her help.
1. Oops

This is my first fic, so I don't really know if it's any good, but I really hope that you guys like it and I'm excited to post more. I'm in the process of rereading and editing right now, and am finished with the first chapter redo.

...

Hermione had her head buried in the latest Harry scandal. It appeared as if they would never stop. Well actually, they could be quite funny. Her two favorite headlines were probably "Harry: Death Eater in Disguise" and "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, More Than Friends?" It seemed like Rita Skeeter had nothing better to do than to fabricate new, outrageous stories of him.

Today's was nothing special. Apparently he and Ginny were engaged for the 6th time, she'd been counting, and by now Hermione knew better than to think anything of the rumors. The golden trio was still close, but without Hogwarts tying them down, they separated quite a bit. It's not that they weren't still her best friends, but the force pulling them together was gone.

She was sitting at her desk, filling out forms for her job as an overseer of business in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It didn't seem like an interesting job, and often it wasn't, but she liked feeling that she was helping businesses grow, and sometimes she saw new and fascinating companies arising. It was great realizing her dreams of improving treatment of magical workers, just as she had done with S.P.E.W. She even got to help George Weasley put an addition on Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Sometimes it was just permit administrations and checkups, but to her, it was, well, magical.

At the moment, Hermione was just finishing up a dispute between the Post Office and Madame Puddifoots. Apparently, too many owl droppings were occurring on the tables and roof of the tea shop, and Madame Puddifoot was complaining. Hermione believed it to be a result of an old relationship gone wrong, which had happened between one of the caretakers at the owlery and Madamme Puddifoot, because the droppings would not come off with basic cleaning spells, nor scrubbing, but he denied it.

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see where she was going and walked right into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" he exclaimed as she dropped her paper and he his coffee.

Wait. She recognized that voice! Hermione looked up only to lock wide eyes with Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy had been to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where Hermione worked a few times in the past few months, but she was fortunate enough to not have conversed with him then. Someone had said in the lunch room that he was there because of family business, but she didn't know any more about it, and she didn't really care either.

It was nearing the end of 2001, a good time after the war, but the tensions were there still and she hadn't spoken with him since then (not that they had really talked before). The Malfoys had definitely lost some power, but because they switched sides in the end, they weren't ostracized.

Hermione said a quiet, "Oh God", and, "Sorry Malfoy," as she picked up her newspaper, and said a quick Scourgify, cleaning up his spilled drink.

"Hello Hermione," he said, more frustrated than angry, and with a tired voice. She was surprised at the use of her first name, and he seemed shocked too. But even more, he wasn't wearing the scowl that she had grown so accustomed to.

"I should apologize too," he stated, though he never did apologize. Malfoys never apologize, she remembered. She wondered if he would ever put his pride away. It always seemed to be the driving force to everything.

Some people said that he changed after the war, but a half apology wasn't going to affect any distance between the two of them.

"Ok, well goodbye," she said after a bit of a pause, "and really sorry about the coffee."

As she turned away, he added, "Goodbye Granger." He seemed to have lost his coldness, but wasn't quite inviting. Maybe he was changing. Oh well, who knows what had happened to him in the past couple of years.

She didn't have time to dwell on this, and found herself back to her office and working quickly on her newest paperwork. Something about a goblin union strike into which she could easily lose herself in.

.

The next day, Hermione had just taken a tea break, was rounding the corner into a hallway, and was walking towards an elevator. As she neared it, it began to close, so she started running. Someone rounded the corner so she skidded to a stop before almost running into Draco Malfoy yet again.

"Shit!" she exclaimed quietly and mostly under her breath. "I am so sorry." What was up with her? I mean this is just excessive!

He almost smiled; she could see it in his eyes. "It's as if you're just trying to soil all my shirts. We really do have to stop doing this."

She couldn't stop herself from blushing; it was rather embarrassing after all. And his somewhat smile had turned into a smug grin which just made things worse. She must look like a tomato now! Of all the people she could have run into, it just had to be him.

During their thirty second encounter, the doors finally closed, leaving them together. She was not going to stick around after that one, so she decided to just take the stairs. Not her most graceful encounter.

She made a mental note that from then on she would pay extra close attention on her hallway strolls.


	2. Someone to Talk to?

I'm so happy with the feedback I've been getting, like you guys have just made my entire month. Please bring your questions, comments, opinions, I'll take them all. It's just nice to know that people are reading it, let alone that they want to read more! Really, thanks guys.

 _As a reminder, I do not own the Harry Potter rights; my story is based off of J.K. Rowling's wonderful creation._

…..

Hermione was meeting up with Ron Weasley today. It was Friday, two days after the second Malfoy encounter, though she tried to push that one to the back of her mind. Ron seemed to be very excited; he had told her that he had really big news.

"I've got my own Chocolate Frog card!" he exclaimed as he pulled it out of his back pocket and started reading it. "Ronald Bilius Weasley is best known for being in the golden trio which…"

This was the most excited she had seen him in a while. Although he usually tied to remain his cheerful self, there were times when he'd get that blank stare on his face. Hermione guessed was when he was thinking about Fred's death. All the Weasleys had adopted this expression, but it was definitely George who was hit the worst. At least now, it was happening less and less. The whole family had gone through so much and it pained her to see them upset. She was so happy for him, though, and was definitely going to stock up on chocolate frogs. She was also curious if she had a frog too.

Once the excitement died down, Ron blurted out, "Hermione, I think I'm in love!" He went on to talk about the ever growing relationship between him and Lavender Brown. When the relationship started, it was a bit of a joke, since he had accidentally taken the love potion she made years ago, but eventually everyone saw that their feelings were true. Hermione was again really happy for him, but was a bit jealous. Not quite of Lavender, but of the whole feeling altogether. Now, there was Harry and Ginny, Neville and Luna (an interesting pairing, Hermione thought), and most recently Ron and Lavender. She just felt so lonely sometimes with only Crookshanks to keep her company. While she knew that they loved her too, they had each other, and she had no one.

Trying to switch up the conversation, Hermione added, "You won't believe who I ran into at work this week." (Literally)

"Who?" Ron answered, though obviously still more focused on Lavender.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Oh yeah. My dad said that he was trying to start some business."

"What kind?" she questioned.

"No idea."

The talking rambled on for another ten minutes or so ranging from the fickle weather they'd been having to the smell of Lavender's hair in the morning.

"Tell Lav I say hi," added Hermione as they headed their separate ways for the weekend.

.

After lunch with Ron, Hermione walked a few blocks back to her office so that she could finish "a little paperwork" as her boss called it, though this didn't seem anywhere near her definition of little.

About an hour in she was completely lost in her thoughts, looking at the "word of the day" on the calendar on her desk, which Harry had given to her.

"November 23: Atrabilious – gloomy; macabre; sullen"

It then went on to explain pronunciation and use. Hermione, herself, was feeling a bit atrabilious. She just wanted someone else to talk to, she decided.

Beginning to tilt her head back, she listened to the quiet pitter patter of rain on her windows. The stressed girl was so lost that she barely heard the quiet, staccato knock on her door.

Panicking for a second, she cleaned her messy desk to the best of her ability… well at least some organizing and stacking before chiming, "come in," in a voice an octave higher than her usual. She had no appointments today; who would come to see her?

"Hello," she said as the door opened, still in her high voice. Then she coughed once and repeated, "Hello?" this time in her usual range.

The blonde visitor stayed in the doorway, and his head was turned so she couldn't make out his features. He seemed to be checking that he had reached the correct room.

"Yes it's 202," she thought to herself.

He turned his head and her mouth opened a millimeter as she recognized the face. It, yet again, was Draco Malfoy.

"It seems like we just can't avoid each other," he commented slyly.

She was acting pretty shy with her hands in her lap and she could barely make eye contact as he began to walk in. He, on the other hand, was trying to be rather assertive, though he seemed surprised to see her too, and Hermione was definitely intimidated. His chin was held high, shoulders back, and was wearing a tie with hints of emerald green. It really was a good color on him, she decided.

"Is this room 202?" he asked, confirming her suspicions.

"Yep," she confirmed nervously. What did he want to see her for?

"Well then Miss Hermione Granger," he hesitantly stated, "I believe I need your assistance."

Hermione was only half paying attention now, mostly because she was shocked by his request.

He never sat down, but rather stood near the edge of her desk, so she was looking up at him. "I was told that you know a thing or two about starting a business." Here, he seemed to look at his toes for a split second, but then he continued as if the doubt had never reached him, "and was wondering if you could help me."

Hermione was speechless now. Draco Malfoy wanted _her_ help?

"Well it's not an entirely new business, really. It's more of a second location for the Malfoy Apothecary shop. Father's idea."

"Um." Hermione didn't know what to say. This wasn't the first time that she'd done something like this, but working with Malfoy was definitely a first. She had to stop herself from twisting left and right in her swivel chair with discomfort.

"Perhaps we can schedule a meeting," he proposed, much more relaxed than her, but with some tenseness. Or was it just his stuck up nature? There was no way of knowing with him.

"Yes…," she extended the word a bit longer while glancing around a bit frantically, because she had moved her calendar while attempting to straighten things a minute ago.

"Does Tuesday, twelve o'clock work?"

"Sure," she stated as she tried to smile. This will be interesting.

"Don't you want to write this down?"

"Oh, uh," she then began to dig around for a notepad and scribbled down the date. "Got it," she said finally, with a small sigh.

"Goodbye then, Granger," he said heading towards the door, and then added, "By the way, did you know that you have your own chocolate frog card?"

Hermione's eyes widened with excitement and he shut the door, with a hardly noticeable smile.

When she had said that she wanted someone to talk to, this was not who she had in mind.


	3. Too Many Questions, Too Few Answers

_I love that you guys are finding time to read and review my work. I really am enjoying writing more and I have lots of ideas already for the next few chapters. I love where this chapter brings the story, and hope that you guys respond as positively with this one as the others. I'm sorry for the big wait, but I've been trying to write longer chapters. I really hope that you guys like this one._

Tuesday, December 4th came a little too quickly. It was now 11:30 and Hermione sat and waited at her desk, fidgeting and unsure of what to do. She realized that she actually knew nothing of the shop and decided to make a list of questions for Malfoy.

Where will the shop be located?

How big will it be?

What will it sell? (she had to admit that she'd never been to the Malfoy Apothecary before)

When is the ideal opening date?

How much do they plan on spending?

Is there already a spot picked out?

The list went on and on; planning things out like this really relieved her tension. This time, she would be very prepared. She was wearing a loose, light pink blouse, but not one of those see-through ones, and she paired it with a grey pencil skirt. It was one of her nicer ones. It's not like she was dressing up for Draco Malfoy, but she wanted to look like she knew what she was doing. (It wouldn't hurt, though, if she impressed him a bit.)

She also had her calendar out with a notebook and some pencils, well sharpened. He wouldn't scold her today for not writing things down! She can't give him that power again; he's already so full of himself. Hermione was certain that she was prepared for all circumstances.

At twelve o'clock on the dot (showoff), there was a familiar knock on the door. Wanting to appear on top of things, Hermione walked to the door and opened it herself.

As he walked in she told him, "Please take a seat." This was keeping him distant, exactly what she needed, strictly business.

The beginning of the meeting seemed to run by very smoothly. Skipping the small talk, he immediately reminded her, "As I earlier had said, I wish to open a new Malfoy Apothecary."

He was about to go on, but her quizzical expression made him ask, "Yes?"

"I just wanted to know a few things right off the bat."

He looked at her, confused.

"Oh, sorry, muggle expression. Anyway, where is the planned location? And what are the ideal square meters? And-"

"I should stop you there. It's actually square footage, because the apothecary shop will be in the U.S., near the Salem Witches Institute.

"Uh." Hermione started writing this down, definitely surprised. "Well there will be a lot of paperwork, especially due to it being out of the country, so I have a few more questions about the location."

"The rest," he interrupted, "you will find out yourself. We will need to make a trip over to Salem to further understand the location and buyers.

"We?" What?!

"Yes, I will arrange for a portkey next Monday. That should give you plenty of time to gather the needed paperwork.

"And, portkey?" Hermione complained at the mention of those uncomfortable devices.

"Of course. What else would we take? Those winged death contraptions that muggles fly?" He was right it was too far to apparate, and floo was not popular between countries. "And stop whining. I can find someone else if you're not up to the task," he snapped.

She was thinking that that wouldn't be so bad, but decided to say, "No, I'll stop," then quietly, "Sorry." Why was she always apologizing?

It appeared as if he were about to go further in depth when all of a sudden Ginny Weasley burst in, oblivious of the meeting, and stopping the current conversation. She carried two sizeable boxes in her arms with two small sacks on top. They went almost completely over her head, obviously impairing her sight. The boxes were probably heavy, but Ginny didn't seem to be struggling, most likely because of an enchantment, Hermione decided.

"Hi Hermione!" the unobservant ginger remarked as she went to the back table in the corner and dropped of her baggage. "I brought over those books you wanted to borrow and also got us some lunch."

"Uh, Ginny?" Hermione said, grabbing her attention. Ginny finally turned around and saw Hermione's visitor.

After staring at Malfoy for a second, she said, "Oh gosh! I'm interrupting something aren't I? I'm really sorry. I'll, uh, leave the books… and your lunch… and I can leave. Oh, but owl me, I've got something to talk to you about.

Ginny left as quickly as she came and before Hermione had a chance to say anything, her friend was out the door.

Once the door was closed, Hermione's face reddened. She had managed to look embarrassed and unprepared again. Now, all she wanted was to find out the rest of the facts and end this meeting.

As if Malfoy read her mind, he stated, "I have somewhere to run, but I will meet you here at nine o'clock sharp Monday. Pack your bags for cold weather and have them with you. He paused for a second and then added, "I'll leave you to your lunch now," while tilting his head towards the brown bag from Ginny.

He stood up quickly and quietly then walked away, opening the door rather gently, as to not bring attention to his presence in her office.

Hermione was in a daze. He hadn't even told her how long they'd be gone! She had a lot to do, especially paperwork-wise. First, she decided, she would owl Ginny, hopefully she wasn't scared off. Next, she had to go to the head of her office and find out about the needed forms. Lastly, she definitely needed some more books. She knew very little about present day Salem.

In summary, Hermione was freaking out.

Ginny owled back quickly and said that she wanted to meet up on Monday. That of course wouldn't work. Hermione suggested that perhaps they could meet for a short time on Saturday. She decided that she would tell Ginny all about work then.

This seemed to work for her friend and the time until then flew. On Friday, she had almost all the necessary paperwork and was reading all about Salem and the Salem Witches' Institute. Hermione wanted to look very prepared for Malfoy. Salem was the location of the Salem Witch Trials, which she knew all about from her History of Magic class at Hogwarts. Now it has grown into a very prosperous town. She can see why Malfoy picked the spot.

Of course muggles live there too; she wondered how he would deal with them. There seem to be separate or hidden roads throughout the city for wizards, kind of like Diagon Alley she guessed.

She began packing too. The weather is supposed to be very cold there, especially in early December. She decided to pick an array of warm clothing, and planned it so that she had many "Malfoy appropriate" outfits, which she thought were somewhat fashionable. Because he hadn't told her the duration of her trip, she guessed only a few days, a week tops, and so she packed accordingly.

Also, she knew that she had to visit the Malfoy Apothecary before she embarked. While she dreaded this errand, it was important to understand the feel of the store. She feared seeing Lucius, but hoped that he and his family would not settle business deals and hang around at the store when they had someone else to do it for them. She had to ask around for the location, but her coworkers knew that it was on a street right off Diagon Alley.

Hermione got there after a bit of searching (she was never good with directions). She stood outside for a bit, observing the space. It looked small, and with an old, sturdy shape. Above the doorway was a sign that said Malfoy Apothecary in fancy script. The brick building had dark wood double doors, which were heavy, and two big windows, similar in style to those in the shops nearby, but these were filmed over so that a person could only see the lights coming from inside, not the contents of the store.

Once inside, it was much bigger than it appeared. The apothecary was filled with bright light and the walls were a deep teal. A few darkly dressed wizards wandered about the place. The ceiling must have been seven meters up, and the area was filed to the top with all sorts of things. On her left, the shelves near on the wall (which used the same dark wood as the door) contained hundreds of potion ingredients. She was amazed at the variety of items, which no doubt were of the highest quality. It's no wonder that Malfoy was so good at potions; he grew up with the whole supply. In a way she was jealous, he had such a great access to witch and wizard knowledge all his life. She could almost see little Malfoy running through the aisles with potions ingredients and mixing them up in the display cauldrons as she had with her mother's kitchen ingredients. It was an odd thing to imagine, but it made her feel happy to think of him as something innocent.

She couldn't stop but marvel at the wonders of this. There was even one of those sliding ladders that she saw in old bookshops and libraries. At first, she wondered why people didn't come here often when shopping for school supplies, but then realized that many must have been terrified of the place (and the owners). And then again, she did not even know much of the place until Malfoy brought it up. Perhaps this was more for the dark wizards. She shuddered at the thought of Death Eaters gathering here.

Next she headed over to the back wall which held drinks, mostly wine. The area was dominated by a red wine called Superior Red. Hermione laughed to herself, even the Malfoy's drinks sounded judgmental… Superior Red.

Barely a second later, a well dressed worker appeared at her side, asking if she would like assistance. Where did he come from? Deciding she'd seen enough, she declined as gracefully as she could manage and left the place swiftly. She'd had enough Malfoy for one day.

 _As always, let me know what you think!_


	4. Too Far In

_I'm really excited where the story is going. I already have the next few chapters planned out, and partially written. I've been doing a lot of researching to get all the facts right, and am working to get the great details in. I'm sorry that I'm not posting as much as I wanted, but school has started again and my schedule is a bit shaky. Good luck to all the other students with your studies, and I hope you guys like it!_

 _As always, I own nothing. All is to the wonderful J.K. Rowling._

.

Saturday came, so Hermione and Ginny met at the Three Broomsticks. While many only saw the place as hot and crowded, they both loved the cozy feeling that it emitted. The wooden interior made it feel just like home, and Madame Rosmerta was always welcoming.

When Ginny came in, she appeared anxious. She could barely make eye contact! Hermione knew that she had news, but couldn't yet tell if it was negative or positive. Before even sitting down, Ginny spoke, "I've got something to tell you."

"I know that we need to greet and catch up, but it should wait until after this." Hermione sat silently as Ginny bit her lip, her hands were stuffed far into her pockets, something seemed to be on the tip of her tongue. "Harry proposed."

Hermione was excited. "Oh my gosh! Really? That's amazing! Can I see the ring?"

"Well that's the thing, the ring was beautiful," she sighed, pulling her left hand out of her pocket, "but I said no."

"You did? Wait, why? Haven't you been wanting this for like forever?" She couldn't stop looking at the bare hand.

"Yes," her friend told her. "Well I always did, but never expected this soon. I mean we are both so young; there is so much more left to do. Shouldn't we wait? I just don't want to feel like I'm rushing into this." With Ginny being just 20, and Harry 21, Hermione could understand Ginny's reasoning. They need to live a little and secure themselves in the real world before such a large commitment such as marriage. In all honesty, Harry wasn't the most mature person; is this what he needed? And Hermione hadn't even had a serious boyfriend, how could her friends be thinking about marriage?

Finally, she said, "I understand. You guys have gone through a lot together and are very close, but I'm glad that you are taking time to think things through and are moving along comfortably."

"Thanks Hermione. It means a lot." Ginny smiled. "When I told my mum, she wasn't quite as understanding. She wants to throw another wedding, get it right this time, ya know? She understood in the end, but it's nice to know that someone has my back!" Hermione saw that her eyes were getting watery.

"How did Harry react?" she questioned.

"He was certainly surprised."

"Well he's not used to being rejected."

This made Ginny laugh a bit. "But when I explained why, he agreed somewhat. I mean he was upset, but we're still good."

"It did stun me a tad though, "Hermione added. "I thought that you'd be the one pushing a wedding, not him. You've had him in your mind for years"

"Yeah, well I guess he was just more ready than me." The two sat in silence for a moment then ordered lunch.

"So why was Malfoy at your office the other day?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow. "Anything I should know about?" At this time, Hermione was dying to tell someone all about him. Without hesitation, she began to explain the entirety of the situation, from running into him at work, to his visit at her office, to the Apothecary. Ginny stayed quiet and listened throughout the full story.

"Do Ron and Harry know?" she said finally, taking a sip of water.

"No, you're the only one I've told."

"That's probably for the best. You know how those boys get along." Ginny was a year behind and never took the entirety of Malfoy's taunting and abuse. That was probably why her reaction was so calm.

"And you're going to the U.S. with him? I've never been."

"Yeah, and neither have I, but I've been reading up all about it-"

"Of course you have," Ginny interrupted, rolling her eyes with a smile.

"Anyways, I'm so nervous. All that time with him sounds like a lot of work. We barely got along at Hogwarts, and even then…" Hermione was lost in her thoughts thinking of the insults, to when she slapped him, to the time she spent at the Manor. "I just don't know what I'm going to do."

"This will definitely be difficult on you, but if anyone can do this, it's you," Ginny reassured. "I know you'll be able to work through this."

"Thanks Ginny." That was exactly what she needed to hear.

By the time that they finished their meals, they had made a plan to meet after the dreaded trip and discuss.

"Good luck with Harry," Hermione said as she walked out the door.

Before leaving for Salem, she had some last minute details to get in order, so she hurried away and prepared. And repacked. And went over papers and details another time. She was going to be prepared. While she didn't feel mentally ready, at least she was physically. Plus he hadn't called her mudblood yet, so he must have somewhat improved.

.

Hermione arrived at her office at eight, grabbed all the paperwork she needed to bring, and sat Indian style in her desk chair while reading a book. She'd packed seven for the journey so that just in case everything went wrong, she could bury herself in a different universe… seven times. Hopefully she would have enough free time. She also wanted to go sightseeing. There are many museums around Salem, both muggle and wizard.

She knew that Malfoy was intimidating to her. His family held lots of power, and hers was full of muggles. But there was nothing she could do now, so she returned to her book and when nine o'clock came, so did he.

"Are you ready?" he inquired, peeking his head through her door, his blonde hair tastefully arranged as usual.

"Yes," she responded, swinging a backpack over her shoulder and lugging a suitcase. Hermione knew that she could have used a spell to shrink the bags to an easily transportable size, or at least lightened them, but felt that trips never seemed real when she did that.

"Would you like me to carry anything?" While she doubted that he had really meant it, the gesture was nice. At least they taught some manners at the Malfoy Manor.

"No, but thank you,"

Paired with a sly smile, he queried, "How was your trip to the Apothecary?"

"What? How did you…" Her voice trailed off. That's really weird. She definitely did not see him there.

"I have my ways." He paused, "shall we?" Next a wrapped package was taken from his pocket. He took off the paper slowly and carefully. There was a green glass snake inside. "This is it." _Of, course it's a snake. Draco Malfoy couldn't just settle for a rock or a shoelace or something normal._

He moved his free hand towards the portkey, but she, however, hadn't moved. "It won't bite, you know." _Didn't need that idea in my mind._ Her face reddened as she positioned her hand over the object and together they pushed down.

Well, not so much pushed down. She felt their hands touch for a split second; his was warmer than she expected, but this wasn't the time to focus on that. The dreadful sensation she remembered well came. She felt like a fish that'd been hooked from behind, and tried her best not to yell.

They landed, he more graceful than she, in what looked like a basement.

"Well that was a bit of a pain in the arse," he said, rubbing his behind.

Hermione couldn't help but snicker. She had never seen him act casually, and with a doubt had never expected to be laughing with, not at, him.

Next, her eyes darted through her surroundings. There was a well-built man standing at a desk, similar to a hotel receptionist, who seemed unfazed by the landing. He began speaking, "Mr. Malfoy are your arrangements the same?"

"Yes," he stated, then turned to Hermione, noting her curiosity. "Portkeys, as you must remember, need to be registered between two Ministries of Magic when traveling internationally."

"Oh yeah," she recalled. "It's similar to muggle customs."

Now he stared, brows furrowed, confused, so she added, "nevermind."

"If you don't mind, Sir and Madam," the man spoke up again, "I need to check you and your baggage." Next he took out his wand.

"I do mind, actually," Malfoy added sharply. She was snapped back to reality. Draco is still a prat. He could never just go along with something. He always had to be in control. Ugh. How was she going to survive this?

"I'm sorry, but because of very recent security breaches in the States, it is necessary."

"Excuse me?" Malfoy was annoyed. "Do you know who I am?" She remembered that the Malfoys had no major power in the states. While feared in London, their stories hadn't travelled quite far enough.

"I'm sorry, but this is the law." Hermione could tell that he was not a man to be messed with. She was about to step in, but Malfoy finally complied. _Thank God._

Malfoy scowled as the man took out his wand and circled them twice, whispering something. After being cleared, the two walked up a flight of stairs, out a door, and into an alley. It was snowing lightly.

"For your sleeping arrangements, my family has rented us a small condominium on the magical side of town while we search for a permanent space.

Her eyes grew big; it's a good thing that he wasn't looking. Close quarters with Malfoy? As if things couldn't get worse.

.

 _I'm trying to allude to 9/11 in this, as it's such a current event at the time. I hope that you all like it, and as always, make sure to review; I love hearing what you guys have to say!_


	5. Not Quite Cozy

_I have the next chapter planned out and partially written, and I am soooo excited as to what happens in it. Some major things are brought up. This chapter is longer than my past ones; I'm trying to work on lengthening them from now on. As always, I hope you guys like this chapter, I am very proud of it._

 _And as a reminder, I own nothing._

.

Thankfully, the walk to the condo was short. The snow had been pushed off the sidewalk, probably magically like in England. Still, she was glad to have packed boots. While they had left at 9 London time, it was 4 in the morning now and still dark. He led her up to the building through the quiet streets. 'A small condominium,' as Malfoy had put it, didn't seem to be exactly correct. They were actually in a penthouse, which must have been bigger than the house she grew up in.

When she walked in, the space opened up to a large living room with a tele, a long sofa, and a desk. The area was adorned in works of art, and there was a large glass sliding door which opened to a patio, which overlooked the water.

"Wow," she gaped, craving to see the rest of the place.

A tone filled with disgust, he mentioned, "Wizards here have adapted a great deal to muggle technology." That explained the tele and many other appliances she saw inside.

"You may look around if you wish. I ask that you avoid my bedroom. It is down that hallway and to the right. For yourself you may choose one of the other bedrooms. I suggest that you sleep for a time to adjust to the time difference. We have a lot to do later." Malfoy, then left suddenly for his room without saying more.

She looked around quickly before heading off to nap. There were numerous bathrooms, five spacious bedrooms, a library, another living room _why would they need another?_ , and a beautiful marble countered kitchen. She decided to pick a bedroom on a hallway off of the kitchen. (It might have helped that it was the furthest from his.)

A few hours later, she was up yet again. After getting ready, she walked out to the first living room. He was already sitting there on the sofa, cup in one hand and paper in the other.

"We will grab a quick meal before heading off to the spot," she was told

They went to a small café which seemed to be part of the condo complex and sat outside. Over breakfast he began to talk of him and his fathers' plans for the shop. He was excited, she could tell. He even wore a slight smile for some of the time. Soon later, they headed of towards the shop.

Like the original apothecary, it was huge, but that was where the similarities stopped. It had yet to be decorated to Malfoy style; it now was sporting shades of light grey on the walls, and was filled with the furnishings of the last owners.

"We will need to do a lot of work here, but the location is prime and it shows potential." The building was on a main street, which magical folk visited frequently. An apothecary here would definitely be used for school supplies. While the school was actually miles outside the city, Salem was a common area for students to gather. The buildings here weren't as old as those in Diagon Alley, but there was a freshness to this, many possibilities awaited.

He started telling her how the store would be laid out, and she wrote out costs for set ups.

For lunch, they were going to a popular muggle restaurant. She was very surprised that he had chosen it. The entranceway between the two towns was actually very similar to that at Grimmuald place, where wizards could open the muggle side by expanding a space to fit a door through (though on the wizard side, the door was always there). Of course this was better concealed than Grimmuald place. There were more muggles traveling close and more wizards traveling in. It must be disguised heavily with magic.

To Hermione's surprise, the wizard and muggle parts of Salem appeared very similar. They used to be connected, but after the witch trials, magic became more and more protected. Many just went into hiding. Secret streets were the solution. It was fascinating story, really.

The lunch began to go as well as the breakfast, talking only business; neither were bringing up personal lives. After a long awkward pause, neither saying anything, Hermione decided to do it.

"So what have you been doing lately? Are you still seeing Pansy?" She really knew nothing of his personal life.

Malfoy appeared shocked at the question, but recovered quickly and said, "No, I broke it off." Surprisingly, but not really, he followed up with, "What about you and Weasley? Still a thing?" The words were like sandpaper in his mouth. Hermione Granger's personal life was not a strong interest of his, not surprisingly.

"Ron? No, we ended it." He was going to be distant? Two could play that game.

"Hmm," he said while raising his eyebrows slightly. After that he went right into how he intended to spread news of the store's intended opening. _So much for having a regular conversation._

At the end of the meal, the waitress came with the bill. Getting ready to pay, Hermione took out her money. Looking at the table, Malfoy, had already put some down, some American dollars! She'd completely forgotten to exchange her money!

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. He put some extra money down on the table, realizing her situation, and she had no other choice but to accept.

"I'm sorry. I'll pay you back later."

He responded by saying that it wasn't necessary, but she promised herself that she would make it up. Hermione didn't want to owe him any favors.

As they left, a car drove by them. It was mere centimeters from the curb.

"Stupid muggles," he had said, "can't keep a box between the lines."

Hermione had rolled her eyes at him. "It's just a car."

"He could have bloody killed me."

She wanted to tell him off, but he was currently paying her salary and buying her meals, so she decided against it.

.

The next day went just about the same; they met with interior decorators and planners. Hermione went to the bank and exchanged her Euros (thankfully she always kept some of those with her) for U.S. Dollars at the muggle bank. She had given up the thought of any personal talk by then, so meals were filled with business.

When he was deciding where to go for dinner, she suggested that they just stay in for the night. They did have a giant kitchen for a reason. Plus, she was craving some home cooked meals.

Malfoy reluctantly agreed and so they set off for the muggle grocery store (It was a closer walking distance.)

They started at a deli counter. After a minute or two of waiting, he seemed ready to leave. "They just have to take their damn time don't they," he spat.

She held her tongue.

And later in the produce section, "The Americans are so fat."

"Please be quiet," she pleaded, "you don't want them to hear you."

Again, in the frozen foods aisle, "It's too bloody cold here. Why don't they do something about it? And what's with cold tea?"

Hermione sighed and tried to push the complaints to the back of her mind as she pushed the cart. The looks she got from other shoppers weren't helpful.

When they reached the checkout, the cashier had the strongest Boston accent she had ever heard, and was chatting it up with a customer who was getting her food checked.

"What are they doing?" Malfoy asked.

"He's just ringing up her groceries. First he scans the barcode, the little lines, and then its price shows up."

"So we just had to go behind the woman with half the bloody store with her?" he snapped.

By now Hermione was pissed. She was just tired of him. "Just be quiet! Okay? You tell me that I complain, but you haven't stopped complaining since we got here! It's always 'this is wrong' and 'that's weird' and 'idiot muggles'!" By now she was gathering some speed, and some looks. "I mean who cares! It's like you've never been to a supermarket before." At that she shut her mouth. They were supposed to be getting along; she couldn't do this. Then it dawned on her. He probably had never been to a grocery store before! He'd always had people and house elves to do everything for him.

After her last sentence, his face had gone blank, but his eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. Malfoy turned around and marched out of the building. What was she going to do now? The line seemed to move quicker now. She checked out as quickly as possible and left in search of him, groceries in arms. She'd even forgotten to lighten them and they dug into her skin.

She found him leaning against the wall of the building. His eyes were closed.

"So you've never…" she started to ask.

"I've been to a grocery store before, if that's what you're asking." After a pause he muttered, "once."

With a hushed tone she said, "Really? I just… wow."

"Father took most of the staff with him for a weekend, leaving mother and I in the house alone. I don't remember it much though," he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Draco." At that she emitted a small gasp.

Noticing her slip, he said, "You can call me that, you know."

"Oh, ok Malfoy, err Draco."

.

They decided to apparate back to the condo; they'd had enough muggle interaction for one day.

Hermione began to make dinner. Meanwhile, an owl had come for… Draco. It was an eagle owl, like his, but this one was coloured a sharp contrast of black and white. He seemed to read the letter multiple times before crumpling it and shoving it into his pants pocket. She didn't want to ask him about it. She'd already pushed her luck enough for one day.

She made a simple meal, a lemon chicken with bread and fruit on the side. For all the fuss they went through, she couldn't mess up now. This seemd to be her job now: to provide all that Malfoy, uh Draco, wanted. If something went wrong, she wouldn't just lose her pride; she could lose her job too!

That's why it comforted her slightly to hear him say, "This is good." The words were simple, but it was enough to take one of her fears away.

"Thank you," she replied.

"You made this yourself?" he asked, gesturing to the chicken.

"Yes."

"No magic?"

"Yep."

It was this small talk which made up their dinner, but at least it wasn't business. Soon later, she took a shower and headed off to read in bed and sleep. Well at least she tried to sleep. For some reason she just couldn't do it. After another ten minutes of trying, she grabbed her book and headed off to the living room. To her surprise, it wasn't empty.

"Can't sleep?" he questioned.

"Not a wink," then pausing, "I can go somewhere else."

He replied, "It's fine; there's room."

So she sat down on the opposite end of the couch. There was a good distance between the two, but it didn't seem like enough.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you can make it yourself." She knew she shouldn't have said that, but it did make her smile a bit.

"It's one of the few things that I can do. This, and I can make a great Shepherds Pie."

"Really?"

"No," he responded, as if she should have understood the joke.

Hermione sat in her usual Indian style. A few minutes later, he brought over tea and a tray and sat back down. He had his knees pulled up and was reading a thick, navy blue book. She wondered what it was.

One chapter farther and halfway through her glass, her eyelids began to get heavy. Soon she was relaxing into a slumber.

It all felt calm until the nightmares started.


	6. Recovery

_Really, my apologies for such the long wait time for this chapter. I've had it written for a while, but never typed it out, and kept putting it off, and then lost my notes when I switched phones… long story short: I've been a mess. Anyway, I hope that you all like it as much as the others!_

 _Also, I'm editing the previous chapters right now, and am in the process of making everything clearer and more grammatically correct. The next chapter will have much less of a wait- I solemnly swear._

 _Reminder that I own nothing._

…

It started in a long room she knew all too well. It was dimly lit. There were windows, but no light seemed to be able to penetrate; darkness had taken over. The stone floor beneath her was freezing and sucked the life out of her. She lied on her back, out of control, as a woman beamed down on her with a horrific smile.

As they locked eyes, Bellatrix Lestrange whispered, "How did you get it from my vault!" It escalated into a yell as she pinned Hermione down. She could do nothing.

Pain seared through her arm like fire. All she could do was scream as Bellatrix's curved wand pressed into her wrist. The others must have heard her shrieking, but nothing could be done. Trying to loosen herself, she tossed and turned as blood pooled on the floor. The voice rang over and over through her mind.

The word seared into her was one that she would never forget.

.

She flashed back further, to just hours before. He stood there with his parents. He did nothing. He could have prevented all her pain, all her suffering. He did nothing.

.

She woke up panting and sobbing, but no sound came out, just heaves for air. Reflexively, her hands flew to her scar. Still there, bumpy and white, it reminded her that her nightmares were reality.

She realized where she was, and looked towards Malfoy, still in his armchair. His mouth was open as if he wanted to say something, but he was silent, so she beat him to it.

"You didn't do anything!" she gasped between breaths. She was covered in sweat and her body was trembling.

"What? What is it?" He said, straightening up. "I don't understand."

Again, she said shakily, "you didn't do anything." Now her voice was barely a whisper, as tears silently coated her cheeks. "It hurt so much. You could have stopped it."

At that moment he realized, and dropped his eyes to her wrist, and she flinched, trying to bury it under her book. This was the first time he'd seen her in short sleeves. Again he met her eyes as she breathed, "You just stared. You didn't do anything."

He stood up, but she was not going to let him near her. Her feet pushed herself frantically deeper into the sofa. He tried to step closer, but all she could say was, "No. No. No." Her voice was cracking and scared.

Then, next he looked around and grabbed a blanket. Walking slowly, he draped it on her, being careful not to touch. She realized that she was shivering.

Hermione's breaths were short and deep, as she calmed down. The tears still ran.

He sat back down, on the other end of the sofa, inches from her feet. She felt trapped, but somehow his presence also comforted her.

After calming down, she glanced back at him. His elbows rested on his knees; his face rested in his hands. She could just make out his knuckles as they curled themselves tightly in his hair. He no longer looked at her. His eyes were focused on his feet.

After another minute of heavy breathing, as her tears never seemed to stop for more than a few seconds, he lifted his head and again turned it toward her.

"I'm sorry."

Her breaths again calmed down enough to allow for her confused expression.

He repeated himself, "I'm sorry."

Now she was breathing long breaths, and his eyes met hers for one second, before darting once again.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so really sorry." He returned his face to his hands.

Another minute passed. Tears were drying on her face. He lifted his head again, and she could see his watery eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

.

She didn't remember much more, because soon her eyes got droopy again and she was fast asleep. This time was for good.

A few hours later, she woke up with the sun shining through the glass doors. One glance around the room and she saw him sitting at the armchair again in a black collared shirt. He looked at her and she saw that his eyes were red and tired. She wondered if he'd been to sleep at all.

After a moment of silence, he said, "I think we need to take the day off."

Through short sentences, they decided to go to a museum, and she wanted to do some Christmas shopping. Neither mentioned the events from earlier.

Because the museum didn't open until 9, they both relaxed in their bedrooms, to the best of their ability, and silently had breakfast.

A few times she watched him open his mouth as to say something, but no words came out.

.

They went to a wizard museum, which was probably best considering his experiences with muggles. Draco had made a reservation for the two of them to get a private tour of the Witch Trials. Unfortunately, they had a rather peppy guide, who had some rehearsed bad jokes to go with the walk. Usually she would have laughed along, but today, she felt like she could barely muster a smile. His face stayed blank for the whole tour.

Unfortunately, the window shopping for Christmas gifts wasn't going to work out. By the time their tour was over, it was downpouring.

They were only a few blocks from their condo, but it was only a minute before they were soaked to the bone. While Hermione wanted to run, it seemed like the Malfoys also had a "no running policy" or something, because he stayed at a casual brisk walk.

Finally, they arrived and both decided to take showers. What they would do for the rest of the day was a mystery.


	7. Making Progress

_There isn't too much plot in this one, but I think it's a good filler, and I've been excited about it for a while. Let me know what you think; I always love to hear what you guys have to say! I have tons more planned, and many chapters to come._

 _As always, I don't own anything; all is the work of the wonderful JK Rowling._

…

After arriving back at the condo, the two decided to take showers and change into dry clothes. After all that had happened recently, Hermione knew she just needed to relax and be alone. Neither of them had said anything about the night before.

After a long, hot shower, she put on comfy clothes, including a sweater, which hid her scars. Not just the "mudblood" one, but all the scars she got in the war. She'd grown used to the lines from curses and spells running her her body, but people still stared. Though she didn't like the idea of hiding such powerful things, she didn't want to do any talking yet.

Hermione returned to the kitchen, hoping to get a quick snack, when she saw a note left for her on the counter:

 _Out on an errand_

 _Be back later_

 _-DM_

As she admired his elegant script, she realized that she was home alone, and that she could finally relax. Finally.

Although she had just begun a new book yesterday, Hermione wasn't quite motivated to bury herself in it. Instead, she decided to search for something to do.

First she decided on baking, until she realized the lack of ingredients in the whole place. How do people do things without eggs? And she definitely didn't want to go to the grocery store any time soon. On the other hand, they did have tons of potions and ingredients, but none of those made baked goods or meals.

She set off to find something else, which really resulted in her exploring the condo. After glancing around the rooms, she began looking further, combing through the bottom drawers in the kitchen and the top shelf in the closet by the front door. She felt guilty searching through personal possessions, but she just wanted something to do, right? Plus, it was almost like research, an investigation to know what she was getting into.

During her search, she found mostly just expected things: some old candles, tons of books (some of which she was afraid to open), and a closet full of gorgeous coats and cloaks. Then she found an old photo album, which held moving images of a young Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and in the back were a few photos of baby Draco. In all those, he was laughing and adorable. Now she felt really guilty for sneaking, and she feared that he would return any second and find her. Because of that, she carefully put everything back as she found it. He had been gone almost two hours, and she was constantly listening for the sound of the door.

Finally, she found a new way to occupy her time. In one of the potion pantries on a top shelf under an exploding snap deck and a box of wizard chess, she found a puzzle.

She'd always loved to do puzzles with her father, when he wasn't working, and this one was perfect. It depicted a print of Vincent Van Gogh's _Starry Night._ Hermione grabbed the box and promptly poured it on the coffee table in the living room. Thankfully, the pieces didn't move and shimmer like magical paintings.

Once she was a half hour in, she had finished separating edges from insides, and did not hear the door opening.

"Hello," he said, startling her. In his arms was a large, but narrow package, wrapped in brown paper. His arms could barely hold it.

"You're back"

"Yes, and I brought dinner," he added, lifting his elbow to showcase a small black bag she hadn't noticed.

"I didn't realize how late it was," she told him as she looked outside. The sun had nearly disappeared, leaving only a shimmer of pink in the sky. "But now, I'm quite hungry."

.

Quietly, they made their way to the kitchen. He put down his package and began to pull out the food.

"I still don't know the area well, and only picked up sandwiches on the way back."

"That's ok," she noted quietly. After taking a bite of what turned out to be a delicious sandwich, she pointed to the box and questioned, "What's that?"

"The new sign… to be hung outside the shop. I'll show you it later."

She only nodded and continued eating.

"And I see you found a puzzle," he said, taking a pause before saying found.

Again, she nodded. Hermione saw that he had barely touched his sandwich.

.

After dinner, she headed to her bedroom, planning to try to read some more. She returned for some water after twenty minutes of rereading the same page, and found him sitting on the edge of the sofa, looking at the puzzle. His sandwich was still on the counter. She didn't know why, but she sat down with him.

They were both silent for a minute until he finally interjected. "Last night… I," he paused, "I've tried to plan this conversation all day, but haven't been able to formulate what to say," he finally added, solemnly and hushed.

"I tend to always push that to the back of my mind, but do I remember hearing your screams. I remember feeling powerless, and I never knew the full extent of what happened. I only remembered seeing Bellatrix later with her crazy grin. I'd heard her torturing people before, but I'd never heard such pain like I did in your voice. I just wish I had done something. I could have-"

"Draco." she interjected. "Thank you." Next she reached over and grabbed his hand. His grip wrapped around hers and their fingers intertwined.

After a minute, he told her, "you should go to sheep, but um… if anything, I'm just a few steps away."

She squeezed his hand and carefully let it go as she looked him in the eyes and said goodnight. She looked back as she turned the corner, and their eyes met. From there she went into her room to think.

He was definitely trying, and she knew that he truly was sorry. She also remembered his family. Even if he had tried, she knew he would have been opposed. She had felt hopeless and restricted, but now she realized that he had too. Somehow, this put her to rest. Finally, she got a peaceful sleep.

.

The next morning, she awoke, and as she passed the puzzle, a few more pieces were laid in. It wasn't much, but just enough to be noticeable.

He sat at the counter, and drank his tea, so she walked over and sat next down next to him. It was time to get going again.

…

 _Don't forget to review! I love all your comments._


	8. New Adventures

_I'm really working on making these chapters longer, I figured you guys would like that. I'm still working on editing the previous ones, but they aren't taking too long, so that's good. Thanks for all the positive support so far, and I always love to hear what you guys think. I've done so much research for this chapter and am super excited and proud._

 _You know it's not my work, and that all belongs to JK Rowling._

…

At breakfast, he told her that they would hang the sign today. "It will share word of its opening and gather curiosity."

"May I see it?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied as he carried the package to the counter and unwrapped it.

The sign was alike to the one back home, since it displayed the Malfoy family crest, but this one was simpler and less extravagant. The crest was green and black, with a large silver M in the middle, and two dragons on the sides. The backboard was also silver and "Malfoy Apothecary" was delicately scripted below the crest in black. It drew attention without seeming excessive. Hermione liked it.

Carefully, Draco rewrapped the sign, and together they walked to the stores future location. It looked stormy again, so this time, they grabbed the umbrella.

When they arrived, again, he took out the sign, and with a swish and flick of his wand it was hovering in place.

"Do you mind?" He asked. "Can you hold it in place while I secure it?"

"Yep," she responded, and watched as he pulled screws and told out of his coat pocket. Under his breath, he whispered spells and she watched as the sign was secured. It was displayed right over the store window, eventually to be filled with potions, cauldrons, and more.

"That will do," he said, smiling to himself.

"Yes, I believe so," she replied in agreement.

"Next," he told her, "I want to visit the Salem Witches Institute and learn what the school needs, as in basic potion ingredients. Also I must figure out what I have to import from Europe and what is here in the United States. They have a different magical history, so the potions they make and the ingredients they use are often different than ours. I'm afraid that this will be a lot of organizing and paperwork for you."

"That's fine. It's what I'm here for," she reminded him. "How do we get to the school?"

"The way is much easier and shorter than the one to Hogwarts. Students do not often board here, so they travel back and forth every day. To my knowledge, people often just take the bus. I believe it's the number 6."

"Sounds fairly simple."

.

The two made their way toward a glass bus station two blocks away and waited. After a few minutes, one showed up. The woman driving opened the door for the two of them, and Draco asked, "How much does this cost?"

"It's free for the students, but for you, $1.09."

"In American dollars?" he asked.

"Yes, it's easier for the girls, but you can pay 3 sickles instead."

Draco took the foreign currency out of his pocket and carefully counted out the change, checking to make sure that he had the correct coins before placing them in the machine.

"You missed the morning rush. The students are already two periods into the day."

They sat down across from each other, and for the rest of the ride, the bus was quiet.

.

They arrived at what looked like an abandoned lighthouse in 5 minutes, and headed towards the main door. There was a bell which they rang, and soon, they were greeted. Draco must have had something scheduled.

"Hello! My name is Johanna Hollins. You must be Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger." As she invited them inside, they were astounded. Although the lighthouse seemed only a couple stories tall from the outside, the inside was enormous. In front of them was a main hall with dozens of classes and halls branching off of it. Far ahead was a large spiraling staircase that went to the top of the lighthouse. Everything was made of a honey colored wood, and there were gorgeous white painted accents. Everywhere she looked matched the open airy feel; she could almost taste the ocean. It didn't have the old sturdy look of Hogwarts, but it did feel homey.

Draco was looking around, taking it all in as she was, and for a second, she watched him turn around, glancing at everything in curiosity.

Just then, they were interrupted. "It is beautiful, isn't it." Johanna continued, "actually, when we heard you were coming, we wanted to give you a tour of the place so that you could understand your customers. Alex Meier is going to show you around."

She gestured towards a girl that Hermione hadn't noticed before. She was sitting on a bench reading a textbook. As soon as she heard her name, she closed her book, being careful to insert a bookmark, and stood up. Hermione liked her already. A petite girl, Alex had shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair. Smiling cheerfully, she asked, "are you two ready?"

While going through various classrooms, department offices, and student lounges, they received lots of information about the school.

"This is America," she began, "so just to start there are a bunch of differences. People come here when they would go to middle school, so 10 or 11 years old. It is required that they take placement exams, so that they have a curriculum that challenges them well. We also are not a boarding school, as you've probably seen, though some of the older students live together off campus."

"What about houses?" Draco asked. "Do you have those?"

"Houses? Well they usually live in apartments, I guess," she replied.

Hermione smiled, "No, at Hogwarts we are sorted into one of four houses, or groupings based on our personalities. All of our classes are with our house, and we dorm with them too."

"Oh, that's what you meant by houses! That makes more sense. No, we don't have anything like that."

"Hmmm," Draco said.

"Anyway, the girls can stay here ten years, but the last four are optional. It's like a small university for those. Those who do that can study a specialty to help them out in the world it can be magical, but actually, most choose a muggle specialty. We have an excellent business school, along with a great international studio branch. We even have an exchange program with Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."

"Really? That's so cool!" Hermione exclaimed. "Does that mean that French is taught here?"

"Actually the students are expected to take four years of a language, and we provide French, Spanish, Chinese, German, and Latin.

"Wow." She was amazed. "What other classes are required?"

"Oh, just the basics: math until calculus, basic sciences, history: magical, non magical, and how they toe together. Uh, what else… Oh yeah, students have arts requirements too. Plus the magical required courses too: Transfiguration, Astronomy, Charms, DADA, and all the usual ones. I'm sure you have the same. The school wants to make sure that the students are very well rounded, so that they can have a magical or non magical future."

Hermione loved all of this. Growing up in a muffle family, she often wondered why wizards didn't get many proper schooling lessons. This school had everything.

"What about you," said Draco. "What are you taking?"

"Well I'm in the second of my last four years, and am studying architecture. It's really great here.

At that point, they stopped in front of a hallway with a sign posted on it that read "Potions and Sciences".

"Here is the last stop of our tour," she told them. "From here, Olivia Morison will give you the basics with this department." At that moment, Alex knocked on the first door in the hall, and soon a woman stepped out. She was fair skinned, and had dark, curly brown hair.

"Hi! my name is Olivia. I'm one of our potions and chemistry teachers. Our head, Tim Schultz wanted to be here, but is currently teaching biology to the 6th and 7th years." She had a sing-song kind of voice, and she shook their hands firmly as she introduced herself. "Tim wanted me to let you know the potions we usually make as well as the ingredients we need, plus our chemistry materials. I actually have the list if you'll just follow me to my office.

As they walked down the hall, Olivia called out, "Thank you, Alex!" As she turned back, she told them, "Alex is really fantastic. She was one of my top students last year. I hope you both had a nice tour with her."

Draco was quick to reply, "It was great, thank you."

Next they walked into a small office with many chemistry labs going on all over. "I'm working on a little project," she explained. On the desk were various piles of grade and ungraded work. She pulled a few papers out of a drawer. The first two pages are what students buy, and the last three are what the school must purchase for the year. I don't know the numbers, and what you plan on carrying, but we'd love it if you accommodated us. There aren't any places that cover everything around here."

As Draco examined the list, Hermione took a deep breath. Everything was so overwhelming but fascinating at the same time. She'd also much more time she'd be spending with Draco. It was still an odd concept. That morning she had woken up, and forgot where she was. But she had to continue, she knew that. There was no giving up here. She didn't know how, but she would do it.

"I'll see what I can do," Draco told Olivia, breaking Hermione's thought.

"Thank you," Olivia smiled.

"I believe we should start heading back."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

As they headed out, he stated, "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. It's almost 2.

"I am too. Let's grab something quick before going to the place."

They stopped at an Italian place and ate inside as Draco went over the list again. "Some of these chemistry essentials… I've never used anything like them. Where am I supposed to get But-a-noxic Acid?" he asked, carefully sounding it out. "This is going to take some time."

She took a deep breath. "Okay."


	9. Games

_I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while, so I'm so excited to hear what you think! It's been a long time coming, and the progress made here is huge. I'm nervous for this one, but so happy to get it out for you guys._

 _You know that this is all JK Rowling's and I own nothing._

...

As they left the restaurant, they began to feel the cold taps of rain. "I'm glad I haven't been carrying this umbrella around for no reason," he smiled, opening it up. They huddled together, arms brushing, and walked down the street.

He stopped. "I haven't the foggiest idea where we are."

"We should ask for directions," she insisted.

"Directions? That's not necessary. I'll figure it out."

She just wanted to go back and relax; his stubbornness wasn't going to get him anywhere today. Hermione walked up to an elderly couple and politely asked for help. Draco stayed put and frowned. Thankfully, the woman gave clear, detailed directions, and Hermione felt much better. Then the lady added, just loud enough for Draco to hear, "and you two are just an adorable couple!"

At that point, Draco dropped the papers he was holding, and scrambled down to grab them. Hermione stood there, mouth open and cheeks blushing. "Oh no… we're not… uh." She tried to formulate a sentence, but nothing was coming out.

"Oops, my bad, dear," the woman said.

When Hermione finally regained herself, she replied, "yes, we are not together."

The woman looked at her husband, and they just smiled, as if they knew something the other two didn't.

"Thank you for the directions," she said, changing the topic.

She returned to Draco and resumed under the umbrella. He had composed himself and gathered the papers, but she could still feel her red face. Now, there was a good gap between them, and their outside shoulders were both getting soaked.

"We need to turn left up here," she told him softly.

.

Once they got back to the condo, she went to her room and put on dry clothes. Staying there and reading, she finally got to writing to Ginny. It was nice to have a break from what was going on in America, and although the friends were far away, Hermione knew she could always depend on Ginny to be there. She stayed in her room until dinner time, and even then only planned on grabbing something quick. She found him sitting in front of her puzzle, working on it.

When he heard her, he rushed up, but she assured him, "Don't mind me. I'm just going to make some soup. You have a few cans of it here."

"Oh, alright."

After that, she started preparing, and he left for his room. The soup wasn't great; who knows how long it had been sitting in their pantry. After she ate and cleaned the dishes, Hermione went to bed. It had been a long day.

.

At what must have been 4am, she woke up with a start and ran to the bathroom. Barely making it there in time, she threw up in the toilet. After that, she went back to bed, but it happened two more times, so that's where he found her in the morning: asleep and sitting against the wall in the bathroom.

She woke up exhausted, and he was standing next to her.

"What happened?" he questioned. His nose crinkled at the smell.

"It must have been something in that soup. I knew it tasted funny."

"You should go to bed," he advised.

"No, I'm fine now," she announced, half trying to convince herself. "I think it's all over."

"You aren't going to be doing any work today. I won't have you vomiting all over the apothecary."

"At least let me sit in the living room," she pleaded. He responded with a stern look.

"I'll bring a trash can."

.

The day continued in a slow, but soothing pace. She worked on the puzzle, and he read a book. There wasn't a title on the cover, so she couldn't tell what he was reading, but the binding was red. It was nice to just sit in silence, and she was comfortable. Every now and then, his eyes would glance over and check on her. She couldn't decide if it made her feel better or worse.

There was a second when she was looking for a piece, when suddenly another flew into place. She looked up only to see his wand in his hand. He smiled. Or smirked, she couldn't tell. Rolling her eyes and smiling, she returned to Vincent Van Gogh. A minute later he did it again, so she told him, "Come on!" with her eyes. He just looked in the other direction, pretending that nothing happened.

When he tried a third time, she caught the piece and pushed it back on the table. They met eyes, and he raised his right eyebrow.

That was how the game went. He would slowly or quickly try to maneuver a piece into place, and she would try to stop him. After a few more, he stopped, but she stayed alert, waiting for his next move. Some time later, she realized that he was done, and she was almost sad. She had never seen him like that. Part of her wished that that side of him was evident more often.

After a while, she felt her eyelids getting heavy, and soon enough, she was asleep. She awoke, though, in her bed a few hours later.

He must have carried her.

She finished her letter to Ginny, explaining her current predicament. Well not the puzzle part, and definitely not the thoughts of the old woman, but the sick part, definitely. Deciding to ask Draco to borrow an owl to send it, she headed out toward the kitchen, until she smelled burning.

In the kitchen, he stood over a black pan with smoke coming off of it. He was whispering spells to it, trying to tame the smoke; thank god the detectors hadn't gone off.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed.

He turned around with one oven mitt on, and his face went white.

She ran back to her room and grabbed her wand. The smoke went away with a few good spells, and they were left together with a very burnt mess.

"How did this happen?"

"I tried to make dinner."

"I can see that."

"I thought it would be easy. It's just like potions, isn't it?"

"Apparently not," she laughed. She tried to keep composure, but this sight of him was too much for her. Soon she was full on grinning and couldn't stop. She couldn't believe that he'd gone through all that work to make them dinner. "What were you trying to make?"

"Chicken, I have the recipe here."

"We had all the ingredients?"

"Well no, so I skipped a few, and added what I thought could work instead…"

"Let me help you clean this up."

Reluctantly, he agreed.

Eventually, they got the kitchen back to normal.

"Do you just want to order out instead?" she asked.

"Yeah."

.

Half an hour later, they were eating pizza and the smoke smell was gone.

"Can I use your owl?" she remembered to ask. "I just want to talk to Ginny."

"Yes," he responded, and promptly went to his room, returning with a bird. She tied the note and sent him off. At least life felt normal in some aspects.

.

Later, he went over the schedule for the next day and told her what he had done earlier. While she was sleeping, he contacted all his regular suppliers and told them what was planning. Next, he got in touch with American magical suppliers, and got all the extra potions ingredients that he could. Excitedly, he explained how all the merging cultures of America had brought many spells and potions together. Some did nearly the same thing, but with completely different compositions or phrases and others created potions that he had never thought of. There was so much that they didn't know. The polish had a type of polyjuice potion that allowed people to change into animals, but it used Polish Scurvygrass, which is found only in Poland. How he would get that, she didn't know.

She loved all the enthusiasm he had for learning. Though she sometimes forgot, he was second in their class, and worked hard in school too. It was nice to have someone like that around, since Harry and Ron couldn't really contribute there.

Tomorrow they would need to talk with muggle chemist supply companies. Draco would need her help with using the telephone for those. Plus, they had to make sure that the shelving had arrived at the store. Things were moving, but there was much more to do.

.

They decided to work on the puzzle more before heading to bed. They were sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, when Hermione reached for a piece. At the same time, he reached for one at her side of the table. As they grabbed, their cheeks touched. Very slowly, she moved her head back, but he didn't. Instead, he turned and met her eyes before meeting her lips for a kiss.

It was only a second before she abruptly pulled her head back and pushed away from the table. Quickly she stood up, and backed away, staring at his lips as they hung slightly open.

She went straight to bed, trying to sleep with a constant monologue of, "Did he just? Did we just? Oh no! Did I do that? Oh god. What will happen tomorrow? Why did he do that?" She didn't know how to react, so she just stayed shocked.

…

 _I know guys, I am so excited to have gotten to this point. I've been working on this for so long, and want to hear what you think. Let me know!_


	10. What Next?

_I really need to get into a more consistent pace with these stories. Sorry guys. Anyway… I like where the story is going and hope you do too._

… _._

She'd been staying there for longer than expected now, but just was beginning to be comfortable. She even called the place "home" yesterday, but soon corrected herself. Well is was homey until he kissed her.

She had just woken up, and was in her bedroom. After trying to read a novel, she couldn't get through the first page, and just thought about the kiss. It didn't feel bad, it almost felt good, and that's what scared her the most. How was she supposed to continue? The Apothecary still had weeks of work to do, and she couldn't even get out of her room, let alone have a conversation with him. This was going to be a disaster.

She was about to write a letter to Ginny, when she realized that she had nothing new to wear. She'd gone through all the clothes that she had brought. Maybe she could travel back to England and sort herself out before getting back to work. After finally getting up the nerve to leave her room, she walked out to the kitchen, but he wasn't there. The living room was empty, so she kept looking until she found him in the library, reading a letter.

Before he could say something, she stated, "I think I should go back home and get more clothes and such. This stay will be longer than I planned."

"Hermione," he started, "if this is about-"

"Don't call me that. We aren't anything more than business associates."

His expression fell, and she knew that he was upset, but that did not stop her. "If we must continue work, please let me sort some things out."

He sighed before answering, "If you must, I can arrange for transportation. I can meet with European potion makers then."

"Thank you," she sighed. This had gone much more smoothly than expected.

They both stared at each other for a while. Each seemed to be thinking of the events of the previous night. Malfoy opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, she interjected, "I'll start packing. Can we leave tomorrow?"

He paused before answering softly, "yes."

.

As promised, the next morning they walked down to the place in which they arrived, and again had their bags checked before portkeying home. Although he tried to make small talk, she was distant, but they agreed to meet at her office in three days.

Hermione started by scheduling plans to meet with Ginny. When Mrs. Weasley heard about that, she invited Hermione over for a big family dinner. Hermione felt good to be a part of the family, but she definitely wasn't going to talk about her current events if Ron or Harry were there. She loved them, but if they heard that she'd been staying at the same place as Draco Malfoy, who knows what would happen.

…

After packing what seemed like her entire wardrobe, she got dressed to see the Weasley Family. It was nearing Christmas time, so the house was decorated in reds and greens, but she wasn't feeling festive. When she got to the door, she was greeted by Mr. Weasley, and as he led her to the family, he asked her about light bulbs. She had missed him.

When she got to Ginny, they went into a separate room and she told her all about Malfoy. Hermione went over the Apothecary, and the school, and the old lady that told them that they looked like a couple, but she couldn't tell Ginny about the kiss or her nightmares. She would have to save that for later.

"Wow," Ginny responded. "That must have been awkward. Is it weird talking to him? Is he the same Malfoy we remember?"

"No, Draco has changed." At the sound of his first name, Ginny stared, and Hermione realized her slip. "Malfoy," she continued, "is doing a nice job at getting the business started, and though we don't get much regular talk in, I can tell that he's gotten better."

.

After that, they made it to the rest of the family, where she was greeted by Harry. Ron had already started eating, and was being scolded. When he looked up and saw her, he joined in a hug, and everyone sat down. Harry started telling a story that happened at work, but Hermione wasn't paying attention. She was still focused on the kiss.

After Harry said a joke that Hermione didn't hear, George realized that she wasn't getting much attention, and tried to draw the conversation over to her. "What have you been doing lately at work, Hermione?"

Trying to stay vague, she told the table that she's working on a project with a client by helping him set up a second business in Salem. She hoped that that would be enough information for them. Thankfully, Charlie butted in, telling everyone about a dragon species that a friend was tracking in America.

Before she left, Mrs. Weasley asked about Hermione's parents, and she assured the curious mother that they were both doing fine. Hermione made a mental note to visit them before she left again.

.

When she, got home, she called her mom and promised to meet her for lunch tomorrow. Just as she was hanging up, there was a tapping on the window, and she saw Draco's owl outside.

Quickly saying goodbye to her mother, she rushed to the window, and grabbed a letter as the bird flew away.

She opened it up, finding his elegant scroll.

 _Hermione,_

 _I had to return early to receive a shipment._

 _I enclosed a portkey._

 _I'll see you soon._

 _\- DM_

Sure enough, at the bottom, there was a small bag with a portkey inside. At least she wouldn't have to undergo another portkey in front of him. Those things always made her want to scream.

.

The next day she met her mother for lunch. Her father was pulled into an emergency root canal treatment, and couldn't be there. Since Mrs. Granger knew little about the wizarding world, Hermione had no problem opening up to her about the current situation. She stayed quiet until the end, and Hermione was able to tell her the full story, even the things she couldn't tell Ginny. It was so nice to have such an understanding mother, she thought.

"And he just kissed you? And you two haven't said anything about it? Now that's just awkward if I may say so."

"Mom, I just don't know what to do."

"We'll do you like this boy?"

"No, of course not. He's the one who treated me so awfully all those years at Hogwarts. I just don't understand. And his aunt is the one who tortured me. His family had an allegiance to Voldemort and… Well I don't know."

"I don't know darling. By all that you've told me, he does seem to have changed. Honestly, I think you should at least trust him. You never know."

"I don't know. I'll see."

"And don't forget to update me, Honey!"

"Of course, Mom. I love you." She could always rely on her mom to be honest with her. Soon she would be back in America, and would have to deal with Draco Malfoy face to face.

.

It came faster than she wanted. After finally adjusting to the time difference and getting comfortable back home, she returned to Salem.

As she arrived at the place, she could hear voices inside. She knocked and was greeted by Malfoy and two women, probably mother and daughter, both gorgeous.

"Draco!" The older one exclaimed. "This must be the lady you were telling us about. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hermione. My name is Nancy, and this is my daughter Elizabeth." She spoke with a large smile, but it seemed genuine.

"We were just telling Draco about our Christmas party," Elizabeth explained. "You, of course, are welcome to come."

"We'd love to have you there," Nancy said. "A friend of Draco is a friend of ours!"

Draco smiled, but it was more of a grimace.

Hermione responded, "Thank you so much for inviting me. I'm sure I can stop by." Although her mind was completely against the idea, she didn't want to be rude.

.

The girls left shortly, leaving Draco and Hermione to themselves. After a few seconds, Draco broke the silence saying, "about a few days ago… and the kiss…" He could barely seem to pull words together. It meant nothing. It was a mistake. Let's just forget it happened.

Part of her wanted to stick with that, but she knew that she wouldn't forget it, and the look on his face told her that he wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

…

 _Happy New Years to everyone, and I hope everyone has a nice safe night. I have many more chapters planned, and hope that you guys liked this one! As always, please let me know what you think; your comments give me life and help me write._

 _I hope all of your resolutions come true!_


	11. Warmth

_I started writing this about an hour after I posted the last one, so I promise that there's a lot more coming! (I'm actually finished with the next two chapters) I don't know about you guys but my resolution is to be on time more often, and so far I'm keeping at it, but who knows._

 _Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one; it was a lot of fun to write._

...

The next day, Hermione woke up ready to continue. She didn't know what would happen with Draco, but it wouldn't interfere with work; she had started this project and she was going to finish it.

Walking into the kitchen, she watched as he crumpled up a letter. He'd been getting a lot of letters lately that ignited an angry response. She wondered what that was about.

"Good morning," she smiled, trying to start the day off well.

He returned by telling her the most recent store updates. "We have gotten in touch with sellers for 82 percent of the items in stock and as we speak, workers are painting and shelving at the Apothecary. I have also contacted the local newspaper about the opening, hopefully in early February, and they plan on writing an article about us. I mean... about it."

"We have a long way to go, but I think that we can make it work." He sounded official, like he was announcing to a meeting, and Hermione was trying not to laugh at his little speech. It was impressive, she thought, that the shop could come together so fast. Magic technology just seemed to work a bit faster.

"That sounds great," she responded. "What are we doing today?"

"We need to check on the site and make sure that everything is going as planned, and we need to confirm shipments and find a source for the rest of the necessary ingredients and materials. I don't expect to finish it all today, but it's on the agenda."

"You mean that we're really getting everything that the school needs?"

"That and more is the goal." He smirked. His cockiness was definitely still there.

.

They started at the site, and it was definitely coming together. About a dozen people were already there, and the walls were covered in wet paint. It was a shade of light grey, sophisticated, and dark wood floors had been installed. Many shelves were being assembled and placed into aisles. Hermione was amazed at how fast everything was happening.

Draco had a checklist and was walking up to who seemed to be the head guy. At the same time, Hermione was taking notes about getting the building to code with proper light fixtures and safe conditions. She would have to research the American laws more, since she was only familiar with the ones in Europe. When she finished, she stood back and just watched the process. _I hope everyone is being payed enough. I'll have to talk to Draco about that._

After about half an hour, he finished too, and they returned to the condo. She began more research and he began to contact the distributors. He originally tried calling them, Hermione had taught him how earlier, but he couldn't get through one conversation without her bursting out laughing. He couldn't punch the numbers in fast enough at first, then he called the wrong number, plus he spoke really loudly into the phone, and he started yelling at the man who was on the line with him trying to process his order. Long story short, he returned to owling.

After her research was finished she began filling in forms to be submitted, but had to keep checking in with Malfoy, because she still didn't know all the information about the store. After interrupting him five tim, he decided that that was enough work for then and that they would have to get lunch.

After Hermione lectured him on the dangers of going out for meals too much, because of the monetary (though that didn't seem to bother him) and health costs, she made them both sandwiches. Sitting at the table together, they started talking about the Christmas party that they were invited to.

"They invited me to the party a long time ago, but I had forgotten about it. The girls are family friends, and we've known them for years. They were actually the ones who suggested that we open the second business here." Part of Hermione wanted to learn about his personal life, but another part of her was terrified.

He continued, "They're a half blood family, but are still influential in the Salem community. America is a little different that way."

At this point Hermione coughed, and Draco realized his slip. "Sorry, I forgot. Yes, muggle borns are becoming more and more influential, and society is shaping to become less prejudiced."

She nodded, as if to accept his fix.

"I believe that it's actually this Friday, so we have two days, but it would be rude to deny their offer."

 _So there goes that idea,_ she thought.

.

After lunch, they got back to work, and Hermione tried to not bother him with her questions.

Taking a break, she headed down to the library and went searching for a book. He found her deep in a novel she pulled off the wall and decided to join her. The two sat in silence, reading and relaxing. Neither one said anything, but both felt comfortable. Eventually they both returned to their work, but for the time being, there was a peace.

Breaking the peace, Draco muttered, "I hope you realize that you're going to have to dress up for this event. I won't have you accompanying me in business casual clothes."

Hermione's eyes opened wide and she slowly closed the book. "But I don't have anything here… What do you want me to do?"

"You can get something tomorrow. I'll even pay for it as it seems to be a work requirement."

"Are you sure? That's really not necessary."

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Oh, ok. Thank you." She hadn't worn anything remotely fancy since Bill and Fleur's wedding, and that hadn't gone well. _Who knows what will happen this time._

.

Later that evening, Draco left for dinner with some friends, leaving Hermione alone again. This time, though, she wasn't going to snoop. She decided that instead she would head to the store again and get ingredients for a few meals. She missed home cooked dinners.

The store was not as interesting as it was with Draco, but she got all that she needed, and walked back home.

It was nice to be in the kitchen again. Hermione had missed cooking and baking, and soon she had practically created a feast. After eating she decided to refrigerate the rest for later so that they could at least have a few homemade lunches. After putting everything away, she returned to her book, and sat in the living room.

An hour later, it was almost midnight, and Draco still hadn't returned. She told herself not to worry, but inside, she couldn't help but wonder what kept him away.

Still reading, she found it harder and harder to concentrate after time went by, whether from worry or tiredness, but didn't want to go to bed. It was now 1:15 and he had left at 6:30. Where could he be?

Fifteen more minutes passed, and she heard the door unlocking. He walked in, drunk.

"What're you doing here?" he slurred.

"Where were you? I was worried?"

"You were worried about me? How cute." Even drunk, he was arrogant. "Why'd you have to wait. What's the problem?

"I'm just going to bed." She just wanted to get away now, but before she could, he tripped over his own feet and fell onto the floor.

"Ugh!" He yelled. She was pretty sure his nose was bleeding and she couldn't leave now. She bent over to help him, but he shouted, "Don't touch me, bitch!"

At this, she backed away, unsure of what to do. He got himself to a sitting position, and she went to the kitchen and got him some water. She signed, putting it on the table, and went to her room. As long as he didn't go anywhere, all should be fine.

.

The next day, she woke up and found him in the kitchen. The glass she had left for him was gone, and he seemed hungover, but ok.

"About last night," he started, "I didn't mean to drink as much as I did, and don't remember much of what happened, but sorry for anything I said."

"Well next time before you do that, let me know please."

"I don't think I'll be drinking that much for a while. Don't worry." He paused. "We have a few places to talk with first, but don't think I forgot about getting your dress."

Well she had hoped, but it seemed like there was no escaping it.

.

After Draco had gotten some more sleep, they began contacting more suppliers. She ordered the non magical products and ones that were simpler, and he got the ones that required connections. He was amazed to watch her on the phone with distributors, and often she caught him staring.

After some time, she was ready for a break, so she got ready to go shopping. When she came back, he was standing at the door. "Ready?" he asked.

"You're coming with me? I didn't realize…"

"Of course. You didn't think I trusted you to do this alone, did you?"

"Well I…"

"I know what's expected here. Don't worry."

"Ok," she responded. And off they went.

They apparated to a place he had in mind. It was one of those places that had mannequins in floor length gowns all over, and Hermione had no idea where to start. Draco called a store worker over, and gave her requirements, so after a few minutes, she had a large selection of dresses for Hermione to try on.

Draco sat in the waiting room and worked on paperwork while she tried them on. The first was a tea length navy blue dress with lace up to her collar. It looked gorgeous, but when she stepped out to show Draco, he shook his head and sent her back in. The second was a red boat neck dress with a fit and flare shape. It wasn't her style, but she thought he would like it.

Of course he didn't, so he sent her back in. When she tried to take it off, the zipper got stuck. She didn't know what to do, and kept struggling to get it past her shoulder blades. After a minute of hearing her struggling, Draco knocked on the door. After telling him that she was stuck, he told her to open the door. He laughed, but tried to hide it, and helped her unzip. She could feel his hand gliding down her back. She had to stop herself from making a sound as he reached the small of her back. After it was unzipped, she held the dress up, and he walked out, but the smile stayed on his face.

Next, she tried a black, floor length dress with a strappy neckline and an open back. It was more form fitting than she liked, but when she stepped out, he smiled.

He called the store clerk over, who hemmed it in a second, and that was it. She wasn't sure if she loved it, but it was a free dress, and no one else that she knew would see her in it. They made their way back to the room and it was 3:00. After some leftovers (he was impressed again with her cooking) and more work, they called it a night.

…

 _More of a filler, but I really liked the development between the two of them. As always, keep the reviews flowing! I love all your comments, and they really make writing easier. Enjoy the holidays, and the next chapter will come soon._


	12. Dancing Her Fears Away

_I'm two chapters ahead right now, but couldn't help myself. I've just been in a writing mood recently and have to keep going. I'm super excited to keep the story moving, and I hope you guys like it._

 _Special thanks to Pokegirlsil for the always positive feedback!_

…

The day had gone by quickly. Hermione was nervous about the party, but also kind of excited. Earlier they had gotten him to practice phone calls, making it much quicker to order more. They were officially ninety percent done with gathering materials, so the apothecary was coming together.

Before the left, she put the dress on, along with a little more makeup than usual. She even tamed her curls into a neat arrangement. When she looked in the mirror, Hermione honestly thought she looked hot. Though the dress wasn't what she usually liked, it hugged her body well.

Draco had cleaned up well too. He wore a dark double-breasted coat that went mid thigh, along with a crisp white shirt and a thin black tie. His hair always looked more polished than hers, and today was no exception.

"You look lovely," he told her.

"As do you," she chimed.

"Before we go, just a reminder that the mother is Nancy and the daughter is Elizabeth. They have an older son named James and a younger daughter named Evaline, who is currently enrolled at the Salem Witches Institute, and Elizabeth graduated last year. They have influence on the school, so it is important to keep good relations with them. There shall be others who have children at the school or are currently there, so keep that in mind. And of course, be polite."

"Aren't I always?" she joked. "I should be telling you that."

After sharing a smile, he took her hand and together they apparated to the house.

Well it was more of a mansion. Hermione gazed, in awe, of the size and majesty. It was a red brick house with four columns that were two stories high in the middle. Hermione counted four chimneys and at least twenty six windows in the front of the house. Six of her parents' house could have fit into the one house.

They hadn't stopped holding hands, and together they walked down the long driveway to the door. They were greeted by Elizabeth, and Draco gave her a bottle of champagne that Hermione hadn't noticed before. They were welcomed into a large hall and from there they went into the living room. There were at least fifty people in the room, and still plenty of area to spare. With his hand on her waist, Draco introduced her to many people, before breaking off and telling her to mingle.

She started out with someone who must have been Evaline. She had the same honey hair and huge hazel eyes as her sister.

"Hi!" Hermione started. "I'm Hermione Granger, Draco's plus-one."

"It's wonderful to meet you. I've heard so many things about you." She didn't know if she meant in the wizarding world or from Draco.

"Hopefully all good things," Hermione joked.

"Of course. Draco speaks very highly of you." Hermione felt butterflies inside her when she heard that Draco was talking about her.

"How do you like the school? Draco told me that you're currently attending."

"It's great. I know that you two are working on the Apothecary. I've heard some teachers talking about it, and think that everyone is excited. You should have no problem getting customers."

"That's really great," she responded. We've been working so hard, but I think that everything is coming together.

"I'm so glad to hear that, Evaline told her. Changing the conversation, she stated, "you should see the way that Draco looks at you. He keeps glancing over." Hermione looked in his direction, and they met eyes, before he pulled away. "He really adores you," she continued. "How long have you been together?"

"Together? No... we're not." Hermione was blushing now.

"My apologies," she laughed. "But by the way it looks, you two could be… Anyway, I must head over to the kitchen to check on dinner." Hermione didn't know what to say.

Next she talked to two more people. The first was a man named Stephen, slightly older than Hermione, who was very obviously flirting, but couldn't take a hint. She also talked with a mother of a young girl at the school. She has a son too, but since there are no boys' schools in the area, he is at Durmstrang. It seemed a little far to send her kid to Hermione, but she wasn't going to tell her that.

Before she got the chance to talk to more people, the bell was rung for dinner, so she met Draco and walked over to the dining room. There were seven large, circular tables with name cards on each. They found theirs next to a family and an older couple from Germany. After introducing themselves, Draco did most of the talking, though Hermione was okay with that. They were served a four course meal, and Hermione was glad that her dress was black, because she spilled on it twice.

After they ate, everyone headed to the ballroom, which was filled with dancing and a live violinist and pianist duo. Hermione didn't even know that people still had dances at parties other than weddings.

She started the first dance with Draco, but being rather clumsy, she had to stop herself from falling the whole time. High heels were not her friend. Apparently ballroom dancing was a very important skill in the Malfoy household. It was obvious that he had taken lessons, and all she had to go on was the waltz, which her mother had taught her, and a year of ballet lessons. To make a long story short, he was lifting her up half the time so that she wasn't tripping over herself.

She then danced with the kind German man, who sat at their table. Thankfully, he was a slower dancer, so she was able to catch up. Stephen, the flirt from earlier tried to dance with her next, but wasn't prepared for her two left feet and wasn't as skilled as Draco, so it was more of a shuffle. A fast song came next, and she danced with Elizabeth, who whispered that Draco was staring at her the whole time. This time when she looked over, his attention was diverted. He caught her eye soon, though, and walked over, stealing her away from Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry," Hermione told him, "I don't really know what I'm doing."

He smiled and pulled her into the hall, close enough that they could still hear the music, but far enough that they had more space. Then he walked her through the steps. His hand rested on her hip and hers on his shoulder as she slowly followed his footsteps and movements. She hoped that he could not feel her heart pounding. They kept eye contact and eventually, Hermione got the hang of it. He suggested going back into the ballroom, but she interjected saying, "no, this is nice." She wasn't sure why she said it. It was awkward and nerve wracking just to be dancing with him, and worse when they were alone, but for some reason, she wanted to stay with him. When he smiled, she felt warmth, and smiled back.

After another dance, she grabbed his hand and led them back into the room. She saw Elizabeth's excited expression, and wondered what this meant. It couldn't be anything, right? Well it seemed more than the work associates title they'd been keeping, and it was more than friends too. She just decided to trust the good feelings and see where they led her.

...

 _This is one of my shorter chapters, but I wanted to end it here. And I'm working on the next right now, so don't worry!_

 _I don't usually do this, but I was thinking of Rihanna's_ Love on the Brain _when writing the scene where Draco is teaching Hermione, so if anyone likes that aid, let me know. When she sings, "played like a violin" i kept thinking of some sort of slow dip on Hermione's part. If a bunch of people like song recommendations, I'll add them at the beginning of each chapter._

 _Please leave comments and responses; they really help me get the words out. I'm hoping to get to (at least) 20 reviews by the end of January._


	13. Comfort

_I wasn't going to update today, but I've had an awful day, and just need a pick me up. Your reviews and comments always make me happy, so keep it up!_

 _This story is so fun to write, so I hope it's fun to read too. I'm not sure where I'm taking everything, but have a plan for the next few chapters. Here's to another good one._

...

After one last dance, Draco and Hermione decided to call it a night. They said goodbye to Elizabeth, Nancy, Evaline, and James before leaving, and Draco didn't take his hand off of Hermione's waist the whole time.

They apparated back, and Hermione decided that she would make a quick snack; the dancing had made them hungry. The two had some wine and Draco tried to assist in the preparation, but wasn't quite helpful.

"You really do look lovely," Draco told her. "I'm glad that you joined me."

Hermione could feel her heart beating faster. Something inside her stomach was churning. She didn't know what was coming next, but she welcomed it.

As she was chopping some fruit, he put his hands on her waist, one foot behind where she stood. She took a step back, letting her shoulder rest just under his chin. At that moment, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. Instantly, a sense of tranquility rushed over her body. It was a chaste gesture, but it left her wanting more.

Instantly, she turned herself so that they were face to face, and this time, she went for it. His hand cupped her back as she ran her hands through his hair. They stayed passionate for minutes until Draco started sliding his hand lower.

Once it reached a certain point, Hermione instructed, "no, stop." Draco removed his hands from her and she continued. "This is all going too fast. I don't know if I want to do this." Draco nodded sympathetically, and didn't try to push her. He reached around her side, confusing her, and grabbed the freshly cut plate of fruit. She grinned and together they walked to the couch.

After they finished the snack, he walked her to her bedroom, but didn't come in, and left for his own room.

She undressed and prepped for bed, while replaying the scenes from that night over and over.

.

The next morning, Draco told her that he needed to visit some of the suppliers in America that day. He was not familiar with them, and wanted to make sure that they would be able to produce all that he wanted.

"The closer ones," he told her, "I'll do today. And the others, I can tackle later."

"Can I come with?" she asked.

"I was hoping you would."

After eating breakfast and gathering paperwork to do on the way, the two set off, hand in hand, to the first place. This one was producing all types of potion making materials. They had ordered many types of cauldrons as well as instruments for grinding, cutting, and dicing potion ingredients.

Next, they were off to Boston, at which they confirmed all the magical and non magical fish and sea creatures that they required. The magical was easy: they just apparated to the boathouse and discussed the order quantity and date that it must be shipped by. The muggle dock, however, had to be walked to (for obvious reasons), but neither of them had a very good sense of direction, so they both became rather lost. As Draco held a map in his hand, Hermione sat on a bench and worked on paperwork, though she mainly just watched his face scrunch up in frustration.

Once he had it figured out, they headed over, only to find the man with the strongest Boston accent they had ever heard. It took a few sentences for them to realize that he was the guy that they were looking for. After trying discuss everything necessary, they still had not gathered if all was in order. Draco looked at Hermione in confusion, and she just laughed. She told the man thank you, and the two decided to head off again, hoping that everything would be okay.

Before lunch, they visited one more. Back in Salem, they met with a short, older woman with grey curly hair named Ms. Raleigh. She was supplying them with all, types of herbs and roots that she grew in her garden from Asphodal to Valerian Root. While Draco made a list of everything she was giving them, she and Hermione struck up a conversation.

"So serious this one," said Ms. Raleigh, pointing at Draco.

"I know," Hermione grinned. Draco rolled his eyes.

"He would make a great husband someday." Hermione and Draco both stared at the elderly woman. "If you're not interested, I am," she joked.

"Oh, I think she's interested," Draco told the woman as he glanced at Hermione.

She blushed, saying, "oh hurry up Draco!"

Ms. Raleigh just smiled.

Soon their work was finished, so they said goodbye to the woman, and a apparated to lunch. They ate at a small boutique, and Hermione asked him more about his personal life.

"How's your family?" She inquired.

"Mother is off seeing some relatives in Spain, and Father is busy with some work. He's always off making connections and such." She couldn't believe that he was freely talking about his family in front of her. She'd never heard him even mention them.

After a silence, he asked the same. "How are your parents?"

"I saw my mother recently, actually. She… well we didn't talk much about her, but she seems to be doing fine, and I know that my father is very busy with his work."

"His work?" Draco asked. "What does he do?"

"He's a dentist." Seeing Draco's confusion, she added, "he's a doctor for teeth."

He seemed to think about it for a while, and then nodded as if he understood. "I never thought about how muggles can't use spells to fix their teeth.

"When I was learning how to ride a broom," he continued, "I stopped too suddenly and flew right off. After that, I chipped these two teeth," he pointed, showing her. "We just reattached them, but I suppose that doesn't work without magic."

"Not quite," she smiled. It was refreshing to learn more about him, and slowly, she was feeling more and more happy.

.

After lunch, he headed back to the condo, but she decided to walk around. She had never appreciated the small shops that surrounded the place, and she wanted to explore. She had also forgotten that Christmas was just around the corner, and she hadn't gotten any gifts. Stopping at a few of the wizard shops, she found a gorgeous ornament for a Christmas tree, so she bought it for her mother. She also saw a set of turquoise earrings that she knew Ginny would love, and two wool hats that were enchanted to keep the perfect temperature, which she bought for Harry and Ron. She felt that she should get something for Draco, but wasn't quite sure what he wanted. She would do that later.

Her last stop was a lingerie store. She hadn't intended to buy anything like that, but she just passed it on the way back, so she headed inside. As she walked in, she was greeted by tons of mannequins in things that she would never wear. There were too many uncomfortable straps and outfits. Hermione realized that this might not be the type of place she was looking for, but as she turned to leave, a store worker came up to her. Asking for a simpler style, Hermione got measured and received options to try on.

After putting on the first, she could just imagine Draco shaking his head like he did with the dresses. Picking up a black lace bralet and matching knickers, she tried those on, and was more satisfied. The store worker had also grabbed a set of something similar in a Slytherin green, so she got that too.

After purchasing those, she made one last trip to a clothing store and purchased a sweater for her father and one for herself too. Feeling satisfied, she returned to the condo, and put all the gifs in her room.

.

"Since Christmas is only a week and a half away, I thought we'd both head back to spend Christmas with our families on the twentieth," Draco suggested.

"That works for me."

"I know what we're missing," she continued. "It's not feeling very festive around here. I think we need a tree."

"I think there's one in the closet. I can put it together."

"What? A fake tree? No." Hermione was appalled. "Why wouldn't we get a real tree?"

"I never had one growing up and I turned out fine." _How did he grow out without a real Christmas tree?_ "We never had time as a family to buy one and decorate it. I just never thought about getting a real tree."

"Oh. I just had always imagined that you were one of those families with the 15 foot tree that made the whole house smell good."

"No," he sighed. "Why? What did your family do?"

"Well, we always went and picked our own tree and chopped it down before going home and decorating it together while listening to Christmas music."

"So, what you're saying is that we have to go out and chop our own tree in the middle of Salem?"

"No, but I just want a real one." This was one thing she wouldn't budge on.

.

So off they went to get a Christmas tree.

"I think we're a little late for the better ones," she explained. "It looks like we've got a few Charlie Brown trees here."

"What?" he asked.

"Never mind. Muggle thing."

They ended up picking one that was tall and wide, but that would need to be filled out a little. Thankfully, Hermione knew just the spell. They shrunk it and headed back to the condo. After a few enchantments, there were no bare patches, and the tree turned out magnificently.

"Hermione," Draco laughed. "I don't think we have any decorations."

"I suppose we can made do." Slowly the two were transfiguring objects into simple ornaments and were adding lights and tinsel to the tree.

"I hope we don't need salt and pepper shakers any time soon, because I'm making them into ornaments too!" she said smiling.

Draco grinned. "I'm turning one of the plates into the star for the top."

Soon they were missing half the kitchen, but the tree was beautifully decorated.

…

 _Lots more of their relationship to come. I hope everyone's as excited as I am._

 _Please review! It makes me so happy when you guys do!_


	14. Letters

_This is my longest chapter by far, and I'm so excited to show it to you. (It goes onto eight typed pages!) As always I appreciate the reviews helping me to get to my goal of 20 before the end of the month._

 _I did a lot of research and work for this one, so I hope you guys like it as much as I do!_

 _I've gotten some positive reviews with the songs, and was thinking of the song Doses and Mimosas by Cherub and We Won't by Jaymes Young and Phoebe Ryan when I wrote this. I don't know if anyone listens to the songs, but I recommend them._

…

The Apothecary was practically running itself by then. The shelves were installed as well as the counter and displays. Christmas was only nine days away, but lots more would need to be done before they returned to England. As The two began their daily rounds of morning paperwork, the phone began to ring. Apparently Draco had never received a phone call, he only had initiated them, and had no idea what to do. After running over to the telephone, he picked it up, stared at it, and stared at Hermione.

"How do I… What do I… Can you just do this for me?"

She couldn't hold in her laughs as she answered it for him. "Hello, this is Hermione Granger, with whom am I speaking?"

Now it was Draco's turn to laugh, "with whom am I speaking," he mimicked. "I didn't realize the queen had called."

Hermione, however continued speaking with the caller, while she rolled her eyes at Draco. "A hotel reservation? In Chicago? Tonight?" She looked at Draco, who nodded his head. "Yes," she continued. Well this was news to her. "The reservation is correct. Yes, through the 18th. Thank you.

After hanging up the phone, she turned to Draco. "What? Why did you get a Chicago hotel reservation."

"We need to visit more of the places, and I thought you wouldn't mind if we did it before Christmas."

"Well I don't mind," she started, "but why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly, I just forgot."

"How do you forget? How didn't this come up?"

"I don't know," he joked. "Are we still good to go?"

"I guess so," she responded with a smirk. "We have confirmed the reservations and everything. When are we leaving?"

"I was thinking around two. But we should look at the weather forecast before. I don't want to get caught in the rain."

"Wait," Hermione queried. "The rain? Did you plan on traveling by broomstick? Oh no."

"Why? I thought it'd be fun." He seemed to have forgotten her trouble with brooms. "It'll take a few hours, but I don't see why not…"

"I... have a bit of a fear of heights and a disposition to flying."

"Are you sure? I think it'll be exciting!"

"No."

After a few seconds he decided. "Ok. I'll set up a place where we can floo. Thankfully we aren't traveling across a continent, so it should be fine, but I don't think it's as common in America. If I knew the area better, I'd suggest apparation, but i don't want anyone to lose a limb today."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"But I'm going to get you on a broom one of these days. I promise." After that one, she was staring daggers.

.

While Draco was working on the floo, an owl flew to the window. It was the same one that had been sending Draco letters for a while now. Curious, Hermione went over to grab its letter.

"Hermione. Don't get that!"

"Why?" She asked. "It's not a howler."

"No, but it's my father. If I'm lucky, and keep ignoring them, maybe he'll stop sending those."

"What's wrong with his letters?"

"Nothing. It's not important." The bird continued to tap on the window.

"Really? It looks pretty important if he keeps sending them."

"No, don't worry about it. It's embarrassing."

"Well now I'm really curious," she grinned as she walked toward the window.

"No, please." She stopped. "My father, he's…"

"Yes?"

"He's trying to set me up," Draco groaned. "He wants an arranged marriage that will help the family name, and keeps trying to get me to agree." He sat on the big couch and sunk into it. "I don't know what to do," he pouted.

"Have you tried telling him?"

"Are you serious?" he snapped. "Of course I have! There's no standing up to him."

"I'm sorry," she responded, sitting next to him. "I didn't know."

"Yeah."

"Well at least you've got me," she beamed, leaning in for a kiss. He smiled, and kissed back, as he ran his hand through her hair. The owl didn't stop tapping.

.

Soon the fireplace was ready, so they packed and left.

If it was cold in Salem, it was definitely much colder in Chicago. She knew why they called it the Windy City. Thankfully, it was also beautiful. The skyscrapers were gorgeous and everything was decorated and ready for the holidays.

They headed to the hotel, which was probably the fanciest hotel Hermione would ever stay at. She couldn't believe it. The room was huge, and could easily accommodate a family of ten. After admiring the view, they decided to visit one of the suppliers.

Chicago's witches and wizards were not separated from the muggles like in Salem, but actually they seemed to perform magic very obviously. Just while walking, she saw two street performers using wandless magic while muggles watched in amazement. _How did they not figure it out_ she wondered.

They ended up in a very Italian area, and went to a pizza restaurant. Draco met with the owner, who took them to the back. "They produce a lot of Italian potion ingredients here, so it's actually cheaper to get them shipped from Chicago than from Italy."

After discussing Essence of Dittany, Thyme, and more, the two ate some delicious Chicago deep dish pizza.

"I still can't believe your father is expecting an arranged marriage. Haven't we evolved from that?"

"In the beliefs of my family, no." Trying to change the topic, he started on the things that they were going to do in Chicago. "I know chicago offers many tours for the city, and we have two more major producers to visit.

After returning to the hotel, another owl came, but this time, neither knew who sent it. Opening the window, a great horned owl entered. After grabbing the letter, Draco sent the bird off and started to read. "It's for you… Who is Stephen?"

"Stephen?" Hermione thought out loud. "Oh no! I met him at the Christmas party. He kept trying to flirt with me." She laughed.

"Well _Stephen_ is inviting you to dinner." Draco seemed angry.

"What? Are you jealous, Draco?" Hermione loved messing with him. "Maybe I should take him up on this offer."

"I'm not jealous," he countered.

"Then maybe I should owl back," she goaded.

"No!" he exclaimed, but seemed shocked by his own answer.

She walked towards him, grabbing his sleek black tie and pulling him down for a kiss. "That's what I thought," she giggled.

.

There were two queen sized beds, but the two slept in one. Hermione was the little spoon of course, and Draco's arm fell asleep after five minutes, but neither preferred any other way.

.

The next day, the two met with another distributor. His name was Harvey Richardson, and he provided all types of crops. A muggle farmer, he was only given certain knowledge of the store, but he seemed very curious.

"I love the family businesses," he started. "How long has the original been in business?"

"Nearly four hundred years," Draco replied proudly.

"Hmmmm," Harvey continued. "Then how come I've never heard of it?"

"It's based in England, so many are not familiar here."

"That explains the letters. You've got quite an old fashioned system."

Going back to the shipments, Draco confirmed with the man when the peak seasons for each product was, and how much could be attained so that supplies would never be scarce.

When they both were satisfied, Draco and Hermione left for the next place. They had to take a taxi there and back, or at least far enough to apparate, so that the man would not see them use magic. Draco was not fond of all the muggle interactions, but stayed diplomatic.

The last stop was with a man and woman, Teresa and Hank Olsen. They were in charge of a large cattle farm, and were in contact with many other livestock producers, whose animals' parts were essential to many potions in America.

"Though we have managed without many of these, since they are not common in Europe, the different potions in America require these," Draco explained. "I know that the horns of cattle are a very popular ingredient.

"That's fascinating," she replied.

When they arrived, they were greeted into the packaging plant and were fascinated with it. On the outside it could have passed for a muggle institution with no doubt, but on the inside carcasses and packages were floating around while a truck was loading everything. It was awe inducing and terrifying at the same time.

"We use the entire animal," Hank told them. It's important to be resourceful, so all the ingredients that are not for potions are sent to muggle suppliers. They love the meat, though most things such as the horns, the hide, and the hooves are for potions." Hermione could have listened for hours.

They both stood in wonder while Teresa walked over. After discussing when the shipment would need to be met, they watched the process for a few minutes before heading back.

.

After they returned, Draco brought up an idea. "I saw an add for a tour of the city…"

"That sounds interesting. I would love to."

"Great," he added, before sliding out, "and it's on broomsticks."

"Draco," she groaned. "We've gone over this. Brooms don't like me and I don't like them. I don't want to crash into the Sears Tower!"

"Please?"

"What, are you going to beg for it?" She rolled her eyes.

"Trying to formulate a plausible argument, he continued, "I think it would be good to see the city that we will need to be in contact with so that we better understand the American people."

"You and I both know that that's a bunch of BS, but if it really means that much to you, I suppose I can try?"

"Really?" he smiled. She loved getting him so excited. It was almost worth the ride.

.

An hour later, they met with a tour guide named Vinny, along with a married couple: Elizabeth and James. On a roof, they were given brooms and were charmed to be invisible to muggles. Hermione hadn't ridden a broom in ages, so after Draco watched her struggle to keep control while riding over the roof, he suggested that they share. Reluctantly, Hermione agreed.

Passing by famous landmarks and skyscrapers, the guide stopped at each one and explained its significance in Chicago history. Hermione held on tight to Draco the whole time and swore like a sailor. With each curse she shrieked, her grip got stronger and Draco's grin grew larger.

"In 1871, Chicago had an enormous fire. It killed nearly 300 people and left over 100,000 homeless. Two thirds of the buildings in Chicago at the time were made of wood and sidewalks and roads were often wood too, so it's easy to see how it spread so quickly. After the fire, the city had to completely rebuild. We created a grid system that many other cities have copied, which allows for easy navigation and movement. The source of the fire is still not certain, but most everyone blames it on "Mrs. O'Leary's cow which knocked over a lantern."

They went building to building so fast that Hermione could barely take it all in.

"Right here, folks, is Navy Pier. Bringing in about 9 million people each year, it provides entertainment, dining, cultural events, and historical benefits. Right now, there is a Winter Wonderfest, but my favorite attractions are the Ferris Wheel and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater."

After an hour and a half, the group had absorbed tons of information on the city and were excited to get inside. When Hermione got off the broom, she looked at Draco, only to see the wind burn on his face.

"If you weren't going so fast, you wouldn't have burnt yourself," she joked.

She couldn't tell if he was flustered too, or just burnt. Either way, his cheeks were red.

.

After they returned to the hotel, they both ordered hot chocolate from room service and relaxed. It had been a long day.

"Draco?" She asked, "What are we?"

"What do you mean."

"What are we to each other?

"I don't know," he responded. "I hadn't thought about it." That was a lie, though. He had thought about it extensively, but didn't know. He was happy when she was with him, and that's all he wanted.

Finally, he responded, "we're something good, I at least know that."

As he laid in bed, she inched towards to him, eventually climbing on top of him, and kissing him passionately. Her hands grabbed onto his hair, and his hands gripped the sides of her shirt. Kissing the spots under his jawbone, she truly felt happy. She felt comfortable with him in every way. He nibbled her ear, and cupped her face with his hand. His enjoyment grew as the night with her continued.

If it was even a question, he was a top.

…

 _This has been such a fun chapter to write. Many more are on the way!_

 _You guys bring me so much joy with your reviews! Keep 'em coming!_

 _Do any of my readers also write Harry Potter fanfiction? Let me know! I'd love to read it! (It doesn't need to be Dramione)_


	15. Expectations

_School is back up, so I'm working to keep the updates coming. This one is not as long as the last, but it answers some questions that you guys have asked me about._

 _Let me know what you think!_

She woke up alone in bed. It was still warm where he had fallen asleep, and the light of morning was seeping through the hotel window. Looking around, she found him inspecting the telly. He held the remote backwards in one hand, and with the other, he was pushing all the buttons on the side. His eyes squinted in curiosity as his head turned sideways to read the labels. Suddenly he pressed the power button, and jolted. Surprised, he turned to see if he had woken her up with the noise, and they met eyes.

"Sorry," he started. "I didn't mean to wake you. I've just never gotten to…"

"It's alright. I know that Ron was also pretty curious to figure it out." Draco's face dropped at the sound of Ron's name.

Hermione continued, ignoring his somewhat dazed expression. "If you want, I can show you more."

The morning continued with them exploring different channels and playing with the buttons. He was fascinated by the batteries he found in the remote, and loved being able to see the muggle programs.

"I don't see why we don't have this in the wizarding world. I feel that we should install these all over. Muggles have done more than we give them credit for." At this, Hermione smiled, as if to say, "I told you so," but instead, she watched and enjoyed his awe in everything.

Hermione thought that the morning would be awkward, but she soon realized, that they had just grown more comfortable with each other. After grabbing a quick breakfast, the two packed their stuff up, and flooed back to the condo. They planned to leave the next day for England, and needed to sort a few things out first.

.

After visiting the apothecary to see its progress, they each packed a bag for their return. Although they were coming back, they both had Christmas gifts and general items that they wanted to keep with them.

As Hermione was packing in her room, she heard a knock on the door. About to head over and answer it, she listened as Draco opened the door and greeted the visitor.

"Hello Draco." She knew that voice. What was he doing here?

"Father," he returned. "Why are you here?"

"You know I wasn't going to let you run this apothecary without consulting me. I just want to see that all is going as planned, of course." His tone was unwelcoming, and Hermione felt that he wanted to talk about more.

"You also have been unresponsive to my letters," Lucius Malfoy continued, curtly. "I assume that this was a mistake." She listened as he walked into the condo.

"Father, I…"

"You know the Malfoy tradition," he interrupted. "You have been born into a family of dignity and respect, and I expect you to continue it."

"But, Father, I…"

"I will not take excuses. It is your responsibility to marry, and continue the family." Hermione did not know what to do. She could not face Lucius; she had always been intimidated, and this did not seem to be the moment for her to unleash the Gryffindor bravery. Lucius did not stop, "we will continue this later. For now, I wish to be shown the Malfoy Apothecary."

Defeated, Draco responded, "Okay. We can leave in fifteen minutes. I just need to get ready." A second later, he walked into her room and shut the door and cast a silencing charm so that his father would not hear their voices. "I assume that you heard all that."

Hermione only nodded.

"My father is a hard-to-please man, and it can be frustrating. I can introduce you later, but I don't think that how is the time."

"Of course," Hermione responded sympathetically. "I'll stay out of your way."

"Thank you."

A minute later, the father and son left for the shop, and Hermione was left to herself.

She still didn't understand the relationship that the two Malfoys had, but knew that it was not her place. She finished packing, and returned to her room to read.

.

An hour later, Lucius and Draco returned, and it seemed like Lucius had many comments. "Be sure to change the color of the walls. We may have followed the Dark Lord, but it doesn't mean that the colors must match his aura. Grey is not good for selling. It does not motivate buyers. And I do not like the display set up in the far left corner. It could be better assorted." Hermione was working hard to not intervene. It seemed like Draco would never get a break.

"Father."

"And the light fixtures were even worse."

"Father," Draco said intently, "I would like you to meet the person who has been helping me with the whole process." Hermione felt relieved to hear the change in topic, but was not excited to be pulled into the conversation.

"So you haven't been doing this all by yourself? Perhaps I can meet him over dinner."

"Well actually," Draco elaborated, " _she_ can talk to you now."

Oh great, Hermione thought. Before she skew it, she was being dragged out to see Lucius Malfoy.

"Miss Granger," he began. He remembered her. Great.

She tried her best to be polite, but could see the animosity in his eyes.

"I did not realize that _she_ was helping you." It was if he pretended that she wasn't there.

"Father, Hermione has been quite helpful, and-"

" _Hermione_ has?" She didn't like the way that he said her name.

"Sir, I work for the ministry, and provide business help along with permits."

"Hmmm." Lucius seemed to be stuck in his thoughts. "I am meeting with a friend of mine soon. We will speak about this over dinner. I expect you to get us reservations."

"Yes, Father." And that was that.

.

Draco made reservations on the phone with Hermione's help to a fancy wizarding restaurant called Merlin's. After that, the two finished as much work as they could. Hermione was working on last minute paperwork, and Draco was rewriting his list of what they were selling, and where they were buying it from.

"I'm sorry about my father. He can be rather abrupt, but means well."

"It's alright," she responded. "I hope dinner goes well."

"Me too. I really do." She could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

.

Lucius found them absorbed in work when he returned, and the three of them headed to dinner. Mr. Malfoy did not like the floo network in America, so they walked instead.

When they arrived, a booth was reserved. Hermione sat next to Draco, and Lucius sat across from them.

"So tell me, how has the process been going? When do you expect to open?" Lucius got right to business; no small talk needed.

Draco started talking about each of the businesses which produced items for the Apothecary and what they produced, and suddenly they were lost in it. Months worth of work went by quickly, and Lucius absorbed it all.

Draco began talking about visiting the different places, and Hermione tried to help the conversation, but felt that she wasn't contributing to what Lucius wanted to hear. Draco began talking about the muggle fisherman in Boston, and Hermione butted in that he had the strongest accent she had ever heard. The two laughed about it, but Mr. Malfoy just stared in curiosity, moving his eyes back and forth between the two. After that, she kept her mouth shut.

Lucius did not stop his opinions, and constantly was inputting ideas. Thankfully, dinner finished, and everyone headed back. When they returned, Hermione left for her room, while Draco and Lucius talked more. When she was out of earshot, Lucius said, "It has come to my attention that you are rather fond of Miss Granger. "

"Father, I-"

He continued as if Draco hadn't said anything. "And I do not approve. You know that it is your job to uphold the family honor, and she does not fit the picture."

"Father, she is very smart and has a lot of respect. she's been very helpful with the Apothecary. If you'd only listen."

"But I do not approve, and that is final." Draco stayed silent.

Hermione could only hear the arguing from her room, but did not know what they were saying. After it stopped, she waited another fifteen minutes, and walked out.

"Father has decided to portkey back tonight," he told her. Are you all set to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes," she responded.

.

The two prepared for bed, and sat together on the sofa. Well, he sat, she lay in his lap. He leaned over her to kiss her, and insisted, "we should head off to bed."

The two got up, but Hermione led him to her room. They weren't going to get much sleep.

.

He woke up first, feeling the soft skin of her stomach, memorizing the curves of her body. Soon she was up too, and turned to face him. Stubble, scars, muscles, she saw it all. Softly, they explored each others bodies, and finally relaxed again. They got dressed. She'd never done that in front of him in the light, but she wasn't self conscious. She felt at home somehow.

Grabbing their stuff, they left, and walked over to the place that they would portkey from. After they arrived back in England, they gave a parting kiss, and left to celebrate the holidays with their families.

.

Hermione met with Ginny first. Although the jet lag was there, she had missed her friend, and wanted to see her. Plus, Ginny had owled her about meeting.

They met for dinner, and after some small talk, Ginny grabbed something out of her bag. "What is this?" She asked slyly with one eyebrow raised. It was a magazine clipping, but Hermione recognized herself in it. "It's from an American magazine," Ginny continued. "I get it sometimes to keep up with the American trends, but this looks like you doesn't it?"

Hermione got a better look, and saw herself in the dress shop that Draco had taken her to. She was wearing the black dress and the back of Draco's head was visible. "They did a whole article about this store, and you must have been there when they were taking photos… but what were you doing there? I can't see his face, but I know it's Malfoy."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. "Well," she started, "there was a Christmas Gala, and I needed a dress for it, so we got one.

"A Christmas Gala?" Ginny asked. "I thought this was just a business thing."

"Family friends of Draco asked me to come, and I didn't want to be rude. Plus it would be a good idea to talk to people who would use the Apothecary."

"But you and Draco…" she hesitated before saying his name. "What is going on there?"

Hermione started blushing, and the game was up.

"Oh my gosh, Hermione! Tell me everything!"

So she did. She could trust Ginny. She wasn't going to tell anyone, and she held little judgment for the Malfoys unlike Harry and Ron. It felt like a weight came off her back, but Ginny was definitely surprised. "So are you guys like dating now?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. She would have to tell more people eventually, but she didn't want to. She liked their little bubble in Salem.

"You're coming over on Christmas Eve, right?" Ginny asked.

"Of course." Hermione and her family had gone over to the Weasleys on Christmas Eve for the past few years, and she wouldn't miss it for the world. Her family was invited, and it was always fun.

.

After dinner, she returned home, and got ready for bed. Even though the time change made the night feel early, she was exhausted. It was lonely in her bed alone, but she fell asleep quickly.

…

 _The story is coming together so well, and I honestly love it a lot more than I thought I ever would. Keep coming with the reviews, your words are so kind._

 _I have more dramione story ideas, would you guys ever consider reading them? Let me know!_


	16. Home

_This is a shorter chapter than usual, I was just disheartened as I had the least views in a while and few reviews in the last chapter. I don't mean to complain. It's just been a long week. Anyone else? Anyway, enjoy, and I hope that you like this one!_

 _..._

She woke up expecting to see him next to her, but realized that she was back in her apartment. After getting dressed and ready, she decided to get work done that she had been pushing off. She kept looking up and being surprised by her surroundings. After an hour of fruitless work, she decided to head to the office instead. Perhaps a work environment would help.

After arriving, she walked toward her office, only to see Harry!

"Hermione!" he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in ages! What have you been up to?

"Busy as always, Harry," she smiled.

"Meet me for lunch, will you? I have a meeting in 10 minutes, but can we try for 1?"

"That sounds great. We have lots to talk about."

Now that she had something to look forward to, she had no problem getting back to work. Soon she had everything sorted, so she began to reorganize her office. Lunch came quicker than she expected, and soon she was off to see her old friend.

"How are you Hermione?" he asked. "Ginny told me that you've been working in America recently."

"Did she tell you more?" she queried.

"She also told me that you were working with Malfoy. How'd that happen?"

Without delving further than work, Hermione explained that they were working on the next Malfoy Apothecary. Although she trusted Harry with her life, she didn't feel ready to talk about the relationship between Draco and her. She just needed more time.

Of course, Harry didn't care as much about the apothecary as she did, but he tried to appreciate her dedication.

"How's Malfoy?"

"He's good, actually." She wondered if Ginny had told him anything more. "He's turning into a good businessman as well as a good person."

"That's good."

"How's Ginny?"

"We're alright. I assume she told you about the proposal. I guess I was upset that she didn't want to get married yet, but I can't get upset. She's always been the more rational one."

"I'm just glad that you both are happy."

"When do you go back to America? You're still planning on going to the New Year's Eve Party right?"

"Oh gosh, I totally forgot! I think I'll still be able to come. I can't believe I forgot."

"It's something you would do," he chided. Forget the party, but remember the work schedule."

She rolled her eyes. It was nice to see that the old Harry she loved was still there.

"And you know what," he added, "you should invite Malfoy. 'Tis the season."

"I don't know if he has plans, but I'll let him know." She appreciated Harry's ability to forgive. It had been years, but many people had grudges. She was really hoping that Draco could come.

After parting ways, Hermione returned to her office with a spring in her step.

.

The next day, a familiar face popped in her office.

"Hermione," Draco said, "I thought I might find you in here." He bent over to give her a kiss. It felt so normal.

She smiled as he continued. "Well first, I accidentally grabbed your scarf when we left, and felt odd keeping it with me."

"Thank you," she smiled. He pulled it out of his cloak and returned it to her. It smelled like him now, like his favorite peppermint tea.

"Also," he continued, "I think we need to check over the forms for Dervish and Banges. We filed it as a shop, but it also produces its own items; it doesn't buy them elsewhere, so we might need to change that."

Hermione cast a silent accio, retrieving the file and the two sat down, working on it. Fifteen minutes later, the problem was solved, and they were done.

"I'm afraid that I have to leave for lunch with my mother, but I will see you soon."

"Wait, Draco", Hermione stopped him. "We have this New Year's Eve party every year, and some of my friends asked if you wanted to come."

"Your friends asked that?" he questioned hesitantly.

"Yes, would you like to come? I'm sure it would be fun!"

"I believe I can."

"That's great! I'm excited."

"It's a date," he responded before walking out the door, leaving Hermione to herself.

.

Christmas Eve came faster than she could have imagined, and she was excited to spend time with everyone. She and her parents looked forward to this day all year. It had always been a day of excitement and joy.

First to greet them was Mrs. Weasley, who showered her with love and affection, as always. "It's wonderful to see you all. And make sure to enjoy yourself," she added specifically to Hermione. "You need to relax!"

"She always is working too hard," she added to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Hermione smiled as she walked into the home.

In the time before the dinner, Hermione got to talk with each of the Weasleys before getting to Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "We've missed you," Ron started. "You've been in America for a while. What's been keeping you so far?"

"Lots of paperwork," Hermione smiled. "What about you guys. What have you been up to?"

Harry had been dealing with a lot of work too as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Though it isn't dealing with things as dangerous as it once was, Harry found himself busier than ever, overseeing people and operations all over. Right now he was dealing with Antonin Dolohov, the captured Death Eater who was sent to Azkaban. "Though completely insane after a few years, he keeps escaping, and no one knows how. Thankfully he isn't causing harm. He's just confused."

Soon enough, everyone met for dinner. It was the first time the whole family had been together in ages. Though the family was missing a few members, everyone was trying their best to make the most of things. Mrs. Weasley stepped away for a few minutes, and Hermione knew that it was to cry, but everyone gave her space, and Ginny was soon joining her. The broken family was together, but never would feel whole again.

After dinner was finished, and it took a while as Mrs. Weasley made everyone grab thirds, everyone began to open presents. Ron got her a scarf; it wasn't really her taste, but she knew that he was trying. Harry and Ginny got her tickets to see a production of The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, one of Hermione's favorite plays. She also, of course, got a sweater with an H on the front from Mrs. Weasley. Her parents' gifts would not be given until tomorrow.

Looking around, she noticed that George Weasley wasn't around. Asking Ginny, she responded that he had been having very strong PTSD recently, and the holidays weren't helping. Hermione couldn't imagine what he was going through.

The end of the night drew to a close, and Hermione was ready to sleep. She went to her parents home for the night, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

.

As she woke up, she looked around, remembering where she was. All of a sudden, she heard a tap on the window.

There was an owl outside, Draco's owl, with a small parcel. Inside it was a necklace, adorned with small blue sapphires. It was truly beautiful. She would have to thank him immensely for this. After putting it on, she went downstairs to greet her parents.

Her parents loved her gifts, and they gave her many books, as usual, along with a cookbook and new cauldron. They always knew what she needed.

Soon, her family was over. Hermione loved seeing her cousins and extended family. It was continuously growing, with new, young faces adding to the crowd each year. Everyone was getting married and having kids; it was all so exciting, and Hermione was jealous in some ways, but happy to be a part of all the fun. Part of her thought that she should have brought Draco to meet everyone, but she knew that they weren't ready for that.

.

The days after went by quickly. The spent lots of time reading and relaxing with family and friends. Soon, it was December 29th. She and Draco had agreed to meet for dinner at one of his favorite restaurants Luchino's Place. She met him, wearing the necklace he got her, along with a black dress she loved. When they saw each other, they kissed outside, and walked in, his hand around her waist, protectively.

"Draco," the hostess smiled. "Your usual table?"

"Of course."

She led them upstairs to the rooftop. Their table had a beautiful view of the city, and she felt at home again.

He told her of Christmas with his family. It was smaller than Hermione's, but, fake tree and all, it seemed like a good time. She thanked him for the necklace, and he added that it looked beautiful on her. He called her beautiful. As the night drew to a close, he brought her to his apartment. She looked around, trying to learn about him, memorize the area, but not was not the time for that. As he showed her to his bedroom, she was happy that she chose to wear the black lingerie she bought earlier.

...

 _I hope you guys like this one, and make sure to let me know what you think! The first month of 2017 is almost over; things are moving so fast. I hope that everyone is doing alright. Hopefully I'll get the next update out soon!_


	17. Beginnings

_I'm sorry for not posting frequently, it's just been a very busy last few weeks, and I'm just swamped. I've been thinking about this chapter a lot, though, and love some of the issues and ideas it addresses. Happy Valentine's Day to all, and I hope that it wasn't too commercialized. I know I'm spending mine single and happy :). You all are my valentines!_

 _Anyway, enjoy this chapter, I own nothing!_

 _..._

She woke up that morning to tossing and turning in bed. After a second to compose herself, she realized that she was not the one panting. She looked over to see his face in agony as his nightmares ruined his peaceful sleep. She was watching as his muscles tightened and his face was filled with pain. Rushing to console him, she threw her arm around him, pulling him in as he yelled. She tried her best to soothe him as he woke up. Her forced steady breaths opposed his quick, harsh ones, and she watched as tears slid down his cheeks.

"It's okay," she whispered to him as she tightened her grip. He soon was fully conscious and aware. Returning her hold, he stayed silent.

She continued to soothe and calm him while his breathing returned to normal and his muscles loosened.

His eyes looked at her with panic. He opened his mouth to speak, to explain, but no words came out.

"It's okay," she repeated. "I get them too sometimes."

They layer there for what seemed like hours in total silence, just listening to their own heartbeats and each other's breath.

They eventually got up silently, and got dressed in casual clothing. Holding hands, they walked to her kitche. She sat him down on her sofa as she quickly started tea on the stove. Returning to him, she sat down, almost in his lap, and smiled gently, running her fingers through his hair.

"My nightmare," he started. She directed all attention to him.

"My nightmare was about the night I became a death eater." This was something that the two of them never talked about. They did not bring up the evilness of his past. It was just something avoided.

"What happened." She was curious about what happened, and she wanted to know what he was going through, but part of her, the inquisitive side, wanted to know all about the process. It wasn't something that people wrote books about. She never had learned what happened.

"My father was so enthusiastic. 'The Dark Lord expects great things from you,' he would tell me." His voice quivered as he continued. I knew that I had expectations, but it was then when I realized that I would have to kill Dumbledore. It was then that the fear hit me. I was just so overwhelmed."

Hermione's grip on his hand tightened as she listened. She could feel the tears fill up in her eyes too.

"And the pain was extraordinary. I always knew that there was pain in getting the mark; I was never allowed in the meetings, but could hear the screams from the rest of my house when he would _crucio_ them. I had never felt such pain as I did when I got the mark."

Hermione looked at his arm. The scar had faded since the war, and the mark disappeared after Voldemort died, but his skin was white and pink from scarring. It would never look as it had before.

"Thank you," he finished, "for listening."

She looked at him with sorrowful eyes as she leaned into him. Their bodies stayed together breathing in and out at the same time as their heartbeats synced. They both knew that the road to recovery was tough, but they were in it together.

.

New Year's Eve came quick, and Hermione and Draco had not spent much time apart.

He promised to meet her there, so she got dressed and ready by herself. She chose a burgundy cocktail dress with thin straps and a "V" neckline.

After arriving, she was immediately greeted by Luna, who was dressed in light blue. She had missed her friend, Luna, and her odd tendencies. Though the two never were very close in school, she always admired her individuality and personal strengths.

After catching up, Hermione went on to talk to Harry. Draco still hadn't arrived. Fifteen minutes later, he walked in and Hermione excused herself from her conversation with Harry, so that she could talk to Draco, who was obviously out of his element.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear. She could feel her cheeks reddening

"I'm glad you could come," Hermione smiled as she felt his hand wrap around her waist. "Let's go talk to people."

She saw Ron and could feel his questioning eyes. He knew very little of Draco and her, so she wanted to avoid him until he was more comfortable with the idea.

Practically joined at the hip, Draco and Hermione walked over to Neville. He and Draco immediately struck up a conversation, and Hermione was instantly at ease. Soon Luna had joined him, the two were still dating, and her fears were gone. The two later talked to Dean and Seamus. It seemed like all her friends were dating each other now.

Luna approached Hermione later. "It seems that you and Draco are very close."

"Yes," Hermione said. "You could say that," she grinned looking over at him.

"Well I think that you're a very cute couple."

"Thank you Luna. It means a lot." And that was the truth. No one had said that to her yet (well besides the old woman in America before they were together), so she was happy to be hearing it from a friend. "And you and Neville are adorable too."

"Yes, he's great."

The night went on quickly and midnight was approaching. She hadn't seen Ron since before Draco arrived. They were talking to Ginny and Harry about Ginny's time on the quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies. Everyone was getting excited about the upcoming game; Ginny even offered to get them tickets.

"That would be great," Draco exclaimed. Then thinking, "Of course only if you want to, Hermione."

"Are you serious?" She responded. "Of course I want to go. I haven't been to one of your games in ages!"

It was now three minutes to midnight and everyone's eyes were glued to the clock. One had been bewitched to float above their heads, alerting everyone how close it was to midnight. Hermione put her hands over Draco's shoulders as they counted down the seconds.

5

His grip got tighter.

4

Her smile was wider.

3

The room felt brighter.

2

His head moved lower.

1

She was filled with the warmth of happiness.

The fireworks and noisemakers in the background were drowned out by their kiss. She knew that people would look, but that didn't stop her from letting him pick her up into a huge hug.

It was the beginning of a new year, and lots more time together.

…

 _I tried to make this chapter a little Valentine's themed for all you hopeless romantics like me._

 _Please let me know what you think! Your reviews mean everything to me!_

 _Make sure you spread the love to all you know today, whether it be your SO or just your friends!_


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